


Reader's Special: Second Edition

by Disasteriffic_Kaz



Series: The Reader's Special Marathon [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Caring, Case Fic, Gen, Hallucifer, Hurt Dean, Hurt Sam, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 22:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disasteriffic_Kaz/pseuds/Disasteriffic_Kaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post 7x08 S7TfaW- This is the Reader's Special. Each chapter of this story was prompted by reader participation, weaving multiple prompts into a single chapter for a cohesive story over all. It's Literary Yoga and makes for a hell of a rambling adventure. Read and enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The events of the Reader's Specials are prompted almost entirely by my readers. After each chapter, they review with what they would like to see happen in the next chapter. I then take those prompts, however many there may be and work them together into a single chapter and have it all fit in with the overarching storyline I use as a base to work from. My own personal prompt apocalypse and I love every challenging minute of it. :D
> 
> If you would like to tool through the original reviews and see all the prompts in their entirety, visit fanfiction.net and click the 'Reviews' to sort by chapter.  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8140257/1/Reader-s-Special-Second-Edition

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_**CHAPTER 1** _

Dean tossed the newspaper he was reading onto the cluttered coffee table and looked over to his adoptive father almost hidden by the ever present stack of books at the kitchen table.

"You got anything on the big mouths yet, Bobby?" Dean asked and smiled when the grizzled face rose up to scowl at him.

"No, idjit and I aint gonna find nothin' any faster with you asking every five minutes." Bobby sighed and sat back. "You boys need something else to do. You're driving me nuts."

"Short trip." Sam commented absently as he walked in with his laptop balanced on his right hand.

"Boy, I _will_ take you out back." Bobby growled, making Dean chuckle.

"Well I'd say let's go do Vegas…" Dean started and Sam threw him a dirty look.

"Don't even start." Sam warned him and set his laptop on Bobby's desk. "I think I found us a hunt in Browning, Montana."

Bobby turned the machine around to look at the screen and frowned as he read. "Well that aint somethin' you see every day."

"Ok, I'll bite. What is it?" Dean stood and moved around the desk to see the screen.

"Eleven victims over the last two years. Some with bites, some who were clawed, there's one guy who was gutted." Sam nodded to the screen. "There was even a woman who had every bone in her body broken. Every bone."

"Ouch." Dean bent in and read along with Bobby. "Strangled, drowned, buried alive?" He looked up and Sam nodded grimly.

"Think I'd rather be strangled thanks." Sam said seriously. "You know that's why they used to put bells above fresh graves with a string that went down to the dead persons…"

"Ok, geek boy. Got it." Dean chuckled. "Save the lecture." He went back to the coffee table and grabbed his beer. "So what are we looking at here? A whole bunch of nasties in one spot or one really creative monster?"

"No idea." Sam headed out to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. "Something's chewing through civilians up there though."

"Or a whole lot of somethings." Bobby closed the laptop and eyed Dean. "You boys get out there and find more than you can handle, you call me."

"We can handle it." Dean said surely.

"Uh huh. You forget I know you two morons." Bobby smirked and tipped back the rest of his beer as Sam came back in. "I'll trust _you_ to call me if it gets too hairy."

Sam dropped onto the couch beside his brother with a short laugh. "Promise Bobby. If Dean gets scared I'll call." Dean's elbow whipped out into his upper arm and Sam leaped up from the couch as coffee spilled out into his lap.

"That'll teach ya." Dean grinned as Sam furiously tried to pull the denim away from his favorite parts.

An hour later Bobby watched them pull out of the cabin's yard and sighed at seeing his boys leave in the beat up, baby blue Dodge Challenger. The Impala was practically family he thought with a chuckle, and seeing them in a lesser car just didn't seem right.

"Idjits." Bobby said and went back inside as his phones started ringing. "Gonna be one of those days."

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_To Be Continued...  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Prompts in this chapter: Cute brother moment in the car; Jody is taken on a Werewolf hunt with Bobby; Hurt!Sam/Dean; Sam attacked & unconscious woken by phone when Bobby calls & can't answer so Bobby calls Dean tells him what happened & Dean freaks; Sam dealing with itchy rope burn aftermath from Becky & crazy tried making him an irritated child & not quite fighting fit/pouting with Dean teasing; Hands on worried brother moment with Dean tummy hurt/tummy rub/limp in Sammy's arms; Prank war start;

_**CHAPTER 2** _

"You gonna give me the silent treatment all the way to Montana?" Dean smirked across at his little brother.

"No." Sam said simply and kept looking out the window. He resisted the urge to rub at his wrists again. They were still healing from having been tied to a bed by Becky and he studiously kept his sleeves covering them. He didn't need the constant reminder of seeing them. He was tired, he was irritated and thanks to Dean parts of him were coffee singed as well.

"What do you want, Sam?" Dean asked finally and rolled his eyes.

"Nada." Sam replied.

"'Scuse me?" Dean glared at him.

"Yo quiero una taza de café que no te arrepentiras terminan en mi regazo. Qué les parece esto?" Sam gave him a sarcastic smile, enjoying the aggravation he could see.

"Dude, I don't know what you said but I'm betting I wouldn't like it." Dean growled.

Sam chuckled. "Próxima taza de café me he pudiera verterla en su regazo."

"Sam."

"Dean."

"English, jackass." Dean turned a threatening glare at him. "Stop whining about your coffee." Sam looked over surprised and Dean refused to meet his eyes. "I know the word for coffee, ok? Shut up."

Sam snorted and went back to looking out the window. A small black cat sitting on the side of the road caught his eye. It sat beside the asphalt ahead and seemed to be happily watching the cars pass. He watched until the passed it and smiled. "Pendejo."

"Ok, smartass. I know that one too." Dean punched his shoulder. "Puta."

"Of course you know the swear words." Sam rolled his eyes. "Bet you know beer too."

"Denme una cerveza." Dean said and grinned. "See, I know the important stuff and don't think I'm not gonna make you pay for going south of the border on me."

Sam grunted, still too irritated to be truly amused. "Bring it on." He rubbed absently at his wrist and stopped when it hurt, making him wince.

Dean saw and relented with a sigh. "How are they?" He reached across the seat and tugged up Sam's sleeve. He got a brief look at the raw rope burn marks still healing and once more felt the urge to go back and drop Becky out a window for it.

"It's fine." Sam said shortly and shrugged. "They're healing." He pulled his sleeve back down quickly and studiously ignored the echoing chuckle from the back seat; the Devil's voice ever in his ear.

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Bobby jerked awake in the chair, the heavy book in his lap thumping to the floor as his phone rang. "Dammit." He fished around the pile of papers on the table and finally came up with his cell phone. "What?"

"Gosh, Bobby. Talk like that might turn a girl's head." Sheriff Jody Mills chuckled and listened to him sputter.

"Sheriff." Bobby straightened and tugged his shirt down, pulled off his cap and started patting his hair into place before he realized what he was doing. He rolled his eyes at himself and put his hat back on. "Uh…what can I do for ya?"

"Jody, Bobby. You can call me Jody, remember?" She laughed. "As it happens I've got something for you. Friend of mine on the force in Wyoming called me. Seems people have been getting mauled in his town." She paused. "On the full Moon. Every month for the last three."

"Huh." Bobby stood and paced to the kitchen after a beer. "Sounds like a Werewolf." He was dimly disappointed that Jody hadn't called just to be social but then, no one ever called him just to be social. "I can go have a look you tell me what town. Boys are out on a job so I got the time."

"I thought I'd show you." Jody replied.

Bobby jumped at a sudden knock on the cabin door. "Hang on, Sheriff." He grabbed his shotgun from the counter and went to the door. He threw it open and then stared in shock.

"Hi, Bobby." Jody grinned and raised her brows at the shotgun as she pushed her chestnut hair out of her eyes and pocketed her phone. "Can I come in?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Yeah." Bobby set the gun aside and moved to let her in. He realized he was still stupidly holding the phone to his ear and put it away. "What in tarnation you think you're doing?"

"And I thought you were paying attention, Singer." Jody dropped her bag on the couch and couldn't help but chuckle at him. "You? Me? Werewolf in Wyoming?"

Bobby's mouth did an impression of a guppy for a few moments before he remembered he was big damn Hunter…or tried to. "Right. So, you're coming then?"

Jody shook her head, amused. "Geez, Singer. Can't get anything past you." She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek, enjoying the blush that crept up beneath his beard. "How about you feed me before we get going?"

"Food." Bobby muttered and then shook himself. "Right." He turned back to the kitchen and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Get a grip, ya idjit." He mumbled to himself.

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Dean sighed as they pulled into Browning, Montana. It screamed of small town America. If he didn't know they were actually on a Blackfoot Reservation, he'd never have been able to tell. It was after ten in the evening. They had been on the road for fifteen hours and Sam had long since fallen asleep with his face pressed into the window. Dean smirked. He'd become bored several hours back and liberated Sam's phone from his pocket just long enough to change the ring tone to "I feel pretty" from West Side Story. He chuckled softly, looking forward to the next call Sam received.

He eyed the small town and grinned as he spotted a Motel sign above a restaurant. "Nice." Dean pulled into the parking lot and parked back from the road. "Mornin' sunshine!" Dean gave Sam a hard nudge and grinned when he jerked awake. "We're here and I'm hungry."

He got out, smirking as Sam had to unfold himself from the seat and look tiredly around. A sign in the restaurant's window proclaimed it the rental office as well. "Food and sleep in the same place." Sam groaned. "You've found your nirvana."

"Naw. No bar." Dean chuckled.

"You eat. I'll get us a room." Sam followed him into the little diner and felt his stomach turn at the smell of frying food. He was definitely not hungry. He turned to the counter while Dean shrugged and went to slide into a booth.

"Suit yourself." Dean tossed over his shoulder. He'd just make sure the kid ate breakfast.

"Can I help you?" An attractive woman stepped up behind the counter and smiled widely up at Sam under a fringe of dark hair.

"Uh, yeah. We need a room please?" Sam proved immune to her flirting, though she made him blush once. He was simply too tired and took the keys with a muttered thanks. He went and dropped one off with his brother, groaning as he listened to him order all the fried pork he could find on the menu. "Room 12 assuming you can still walk later."

"Dude, tell me you'll get your head outta your ass by morning?" Dean smirked up at him and waved as Sam huffed and left him.

"Are you always that mean to your brother?" The waitress set his coffee in front of him with a disapproving smile.

Dean bristled. "Look lady, not that it's any of your business but he's had a rough week and if he's busy being pissed at me than he's not thinking about that crap." He wasn't going to elaborate and was thankful as her severe expression softened.

"Ah I understand." She topped up his coffee. "Come down in the morning. I make a mean cinnamon bun. Makes everything better."

Dean smiled up at her, really looking at her and realized she was old enough to be someone's mother with black hair pulled back above a comfortably lined face. "Thanks."

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Sam trudged up the stairs to their motel room with their duffels slung over his shoulder and sighed. He was being a bitch. He knew it but he was just so tired he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Get it together, Sam." He muttered as he reached the balcony level and followed it around to the back and room 12. He slid the key card into the lock and pushed the door open. A sound made him spin around, letting the duffel bags fall inside the room.

"Hello?" Sam looked about but the balcony was empty except for him. "Ok, tired, bitchy and paranoid. Geez." He shook his head and turned to go in when something wrapped around his neck from behind. He reached for the gun at his back as he felt himself lifted up, neck stretching painfully and then was falling through the air. He felt something break his fall and blearily looked over to see crushed boxes beneath him and then nothing as consciousness slipped away from him.

" _I feel pretty_  
Oh so pretty  
I feel pretty and witty and gay  
And I pity  
Any girl who isn't me today.  
I feel charming…"

Sam stirred, hearing singing and fought to get his eyes open. "Huh? Wha…" He groaned as it continued and he dimly recognized the tune. Instinctively he reached for his cell phone, fumbling it from his pocket. He managed to get it up and answer the call but oblivion sucked him under again.

"Sam? Sam!" Bobby's tinny voice echoed from the phone.

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Dean groaned in pleasure looking down at a plate loaded with bacon, sausage, eggs with chopped pork and hash browns. "Oh baby." He loaded up a heaping forkful and just before he could get it in his mouth, his phone rang. "Aw son of a bitch." He dug his phone from his pocket. "This better be good. I got a plate of pig waiting on me."

"Dean!" Bobby's voice yelled out at him. "What the hell's wrong with Sam?"

"Huh?" Dean set the fork down, food forgotten. "What do you mean? He just went up to our room."

"I just called him. He answered but he didn't say anything." Bobby's tone was laced with tension. "I got a bad feeling, son. You better go check on him."

"Dammit. Ok, I'll call you back." He shut the phone and looked sadly down at his untouched meal. "I'll be back baby." He waved the waitress over as he stood. "I'll be back. I just gotta go check on my brother."

"No problem, hon." She smiled. "I'll keep it warm for you."

"Thanks." Dean pushed outside and jogged up the stairs to the balcony and around to the back, following the climbing room numbers. He reached theirs and instantly had his gun in his hand.

"Sammy?" He called. The room door was open, their bags lying just inside but the lights were still off. "Sam!" Dean called, his worry ratcheting up when he didn't get an answer. "Dammit." He took out his cell phone and dialed his brother's. He heard the strains of West Side Story as a weight dropped into his stomach and followed it, leaning over the railing. Sam lay sprawled below on a flattened pile of boxes.

"Oh god. Sammy!" He put his phone away and leaned back. He grunted as he was grabbed from behind, a dark arm wrapping around his throat and pressed him into the railing. More figures appeared below as Sam moaned, turning his head. "Sam! Sam, get up!" He saw his brother's head turn toward his voice as the figures converged on him. "Get the hell off me!" Dean threw all his weight into his captor but gained nothing. Below, Sam was yanked up by his neck and flipped onto the hood of a parked car. The shadow figures drove fists into him as he watched.

Dean let the rage blow through him. He turned his hand, pressed into the rail with his gun and got a round off into his attacker. There was a whoosh of air and the pressure on his neck released. Dean spun to face him and met empty air. "What the hell?" He turned back and saw Sam now alone below. He didn't waste time. Rather than go all the way back to the stairs, he jumped over the railing, catching it with his hands and landed where Sam had been lying to roll to his feet.

"Sam?" Dean went to him and sighed in relief when hazel eyes blinked up at him.

"Dean?" Sam rolled, letting Dean help him off the car and then lost his feet, slipping to the ground as pain screamed through his head. "Wha' the hell happened?"

"I'm not sure." Dean ran a hand over the back of Sam's head and came away bloody. "Damn."

"Dean!" Sam's eyes widened as figures materialized behind Dean. A phantom pressure settled over his chest and he could only watch as Dean was dragged away from him. Dean kicked and growled and Sam thought for a moment he was going to fight free when one of the shadows raised his arm. Sam saw something glint in the moonlight and then it swung down and across Dean's stomach. Sam watched in horror as a long gash was opened and Dean fell to the ground with his hands cradling what Sam knew were his intestines. "DEAN!" He fought against the force holding him and realized he was still holding his gun. It took an immense effort but he was able to bring it up and fired at the figures above Dean. There was a loud screech from somewhere nearby and they vanished. Instantly the pressure on his chest went away and Sam scrambled across the pavement.

"Dean?" Sam caught him as he toppled sideways, letting him rest against his chest. "Lemme see." He could tell Dean was pale even in the moonlight, his eyes shocked wide as Sam pushed his hands away and replaced them with his own. He pushed hard, earning a grunt from Dean as he pressed into his stomach trying to save his life. "Don't die. Please don't die. Dean, stay with me!"

"Sam?" Dean blinked finally and looked down in surprise. The pain was gone, only the pressure of his brother's hands on his stomach remained. "What's happening?"

"It's ok. We'll get help." Sam said firmly, refusing to accept that Dean was dying in his arms.

"Wait. Wait." Dean shoved at Sam's hands, growling when he refused to move them. "Sam, stop. I think…I think I'm ok. It doesn't hurt."

Sam fought Dean moving his hands and then he realized the sensation of warm blood and wet things had gone, replaced only by the feel of Dean's shirt beneath his hands. He moved them aside and both men peered down in utter shock. "Ok. Now I'm confused."

"You're confused!" Dean took his own weight, sitting away from Sam and pulled his shirt up to check. There was no wound and no blood. "What the hell's going on?"

Sam shook his head and instantly regretted it. Whatever else may not have been real, his fall from the balcony certainly had been. "Crap." He dropped his head into his hands.

"Oh my god! Are you boys alright?" The waitress came running around the corner with a large man beside her and shined a flashlight on them. "What happened to you two?"

Dean shook his head, still in a fog and thoroughly confused. He steadied Sam and looked up at them. "Uh, someone jumped him. I fought them off but they ran." He waved a hand in the general direction of the field beyond the motel. He was certainly not going to tell them about phantom attackers and miraculously vanishing gut wounds.

The waitress knelt beside them while the man jogged off toward the field. "Are you ok, honey?" She put a gentle hand on Sam's shoulder and got a weak nod.

"Hit me." Sam said, following the conversation and Dean's story. "Never saw it coming." Which was the truth.

"We're ok." Dean told her kindly. "I'm just gonna get him upstairs and take care of him."

"We should call the police." She said but Dean shook his head.

"We can't tell them anything." Dean shrugged and got Sam standing, leaning heavily against him. "It's too damn dark and I couldn't see anything except they were wearing black. It's fine, really. Thank you."

"If you're sure." She watched them weave off toward the stairs. "I'm Analise by the way, if you need anything."

"Thanks, Analise. We'll be fine. Come on, sasquatch." Dean kept him moving away all the while running through the events in his head. The stairs proved to be a problem and they had to stop several times so Sam could get his bearings.

"Think they cracked my head open." Sam groaned as they finally reached the balcony.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Dean muttered. The security lights on the balcony clearly showed the blood that had flowed to color most of his back and matt his hair.

"So, we hallucinated all that?" Sam asked as they reached their room and turned on the lights.

Dean purposefully guided him to the bed furthest from the door. "Apparently." He sat Sam down. "Hang on." He dashed to the bathroom for a towel and covered Sam's pillow before helping him lay back. "You good for a minute?" Sam nodded, giving a sigh as he relaxed into the bed.

Dean kicked the door shut, locked it and tossed the duffels up on his bed. He pulled out the salt and poured quick, heavy lines at the door and window. When he was done he took out a marker and started drawing every protective symbol he could think of on the door and the windowsill. Whatever had attacked them, he wanted to be as sure as he could that it wouldn't get into their room.

"How you doing over there?" Dean asked and got a weary thumbs up. "Almost done here."

Sam opened his eyes finally and moved his head carefully to see the room. It was paneled in warm, brown wood with old, handmade rugs tossed across the floor. The beds were covered in quilts he'd bet were handmade too. Across from the bathroom door were two comfortable looking chairs and a table, a small television and coffee pot on an entertainment center, little refrigerator and a dresser. The closet door was open and he watched Dean give a cursory glance inside before moving on to the bathroom.

"Nice room." Sam commented and got a snort from Dean.

"Compared to the places we usually hole up in this is the freakin Ritz." Dean came out of the bathroom with another towel and an ice bucket filled with water. He set them on the bedside table and reached to his bed, tugging his duffel closer. He took out the first aid kit and set it beside Sam. "Ok, kiddo. Let's get a look at your head."

Sam smirked. "Not a kid."

"Ok mutant tall kiddo. Sit up." Dean pulled his arm until he was sitting and moved to see the back of his head. "Huh. It's actually not that bad." He commented as he pulled the hair out of the way and found a shallow but long cut. "Just needs cleaning. No stitches."

Sam's phone chose that moment to ring again and he frowned and then growled as he once more heard 'I feel pretty'. "You jerk! I thought I was imagining that!"

Dean couldn't help it, he laughed. In spite of what had just happened, the ridiculousness of it won out as Sam answered his phone in outrage. "What?"

"Sam? Dammit, boy. What's going on?" Bobby's voice echoed out and Sam eased it away from his ear as it set his head pounding.

"Bobby. We're not really sure." Sam hissed as Dean cleaned the cut on his head. "We got jumped by…well…hallucinations or something."

"Here give me that." Dean took the phone from his hand. "Lay back."

Sam didn't argue, wanting to not be vertical anymore and listened as Dean related everything that had happened including the terror filled moments when they both believed he had been gutted. The only thing keeping him from tipping over the edge into crazy-ville was knowing Dean had experienced it as well. There had been a brief, terrifying moment where he thought Lucifer had finally sucked him under for good. Even now, his right hand strayed into his left, pressing at the scar there for reassurance.

"So, any clue at all what the hell just happened to us?" Dean asked Bobby, not missing his little brother digging into his scar again.

"I'm not sure, Dean." Bobby sighed. "There's a few things could pull off that kind of crap. I'll do some research when I get back to the cabin."

"Wait, back? Where are you?" Dean asked surprised.

"Uh, on a hunt in uh, Wyoming. Werewolf." Bobby said sounding, for all the world, like a teenager caught out by his father.

"Bobby… what are you not telling me?" Dean knew something was up and had his answer a moment later when Sheriff Jody Mill's voice came over the line.

"Hey, Dean." She greeted cheerily.

Dean smothered a laugh as Bobby sputtered at her to get off. "Tell Jody me and Sam say hi."

"Don't you say nothin, son." Bobby warned. "Soon as we gank this Werewolf I'll get back and figure this out."

"Uh huh." Dean worked hard not to laugh. "You old dog."

"Oh bite me, Dean." Bobby said scathingly and Dean let the laugh loose as Bobby hung up on him.

"Jody's with Bobby?" Sam asked from the bed and cracked a smile. "Awesome."

Dean went and sat beside him. He nudged Sam's elbow. "It's real, Sammy. You're ok."

Sam blushed slightly and let go his left hand. "I know."

"Good. Now get some sleep." Dean rose and started pulling things out of their bags. "I think we're safe enough for now."

"Reassuring." Sam mumbled and let himself drift off to the sound of Dean puttering around the room.

"I want my pig." Dean lamented as he opened up the weapons bag. "Friggin phantoms."

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_To Be Continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Prompts in this chapter: Jody and Bobby hunt the wolf, find a victim & Jody has her first field autopsy; Bobby saving Jody by becoming a human shield; Sam pranks Dean, something having to do with his food; Boys get some local gossip in Diner & Lucifer screws with Sam, does something to his bun; Creepy guy at gas station; car accident, Sam's concussed & Dean feels guilty; Sam's head injury more serious than thought, interferes with hunt; Sam doesn't know if he's having trouble because of injury or Luci; Something happens to make Dean call Bobby for help, he and Jody come; Sam gets nightmares of hell & Dean comforts him.

_**CHAPTER 3** _

"So this is what you guys do on an actual…hunt." Jody Mills stood back and admired the board Bobby had set up in their hotel room; newspaper clippings, a map with relevant locations marked off, notes, research, interviews and theories. She smiled, bemused. "You're like supernatural cops."

"Hey now." Bobby scowled at her. "No need to get insultin'." He softened the comment with a smirk. "S'pose it's pretty much the same thing just with different sources." He hefted a thick book from the table. "Just with Campbell's Demonology instead of FBI profilers."

Jody laughed and handed Bobby his beer. "So, what do we do next boss?"

Bobby snorted and turned back to the map. "Well, tonight's the full moon so either we find this thing tonight or wait another month." He pointed to a red mark on the map. "I think this is the best spot."

Jody studied the map and nodded. "I see it. The victims all either died or were found within a mile of the place and a warehouse is a good place to hole up. Even for Werewolves?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, they like to find a den; bring their kills in." He set the book aside and picked up an ammunition box, handing it to her. "Silver rounds. You'll need these. Aim for the heart or the head and don't flinch. They're faster than you can think and if he sinks teeth in ya…"

"Right." Jody said soberly and took out her service revolver. "You'll be hunting me next month." She quickly emptied her clip and refilled it with the silver rounds.

"Not gonna happen." Bobby said surely, a prayer and a promise. He still couldn't believe he'd let her talk him into taking her along. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Bobby…" Jody sighed and holstered her gun.

"What we're gonna do, it aint exactly legal, Jody." He took up his own weapons, already loaded and put them in a duffel along with salt and lighter fluid. "I mean this thing's a monster right now but it used to be a person." He fixed a stern look on her. "And we're going to kill him. No warrants, no courts."

"Bobby, stop. I understand." She rested a hand on his cheek for a moment fondly and then put on her coat. "It's a monster. Believe me I understand someone needs to stand up and fight these things." Her face saddened for a moment, thinking of her son but she shook that off. "From what you've told me, the ranks of Hunters have taken some hits the last few years."

"Yeah we have." Bobby sighed. "Lost a lot a good people. Good Hunters. Friends."

"Sometimes a precinct loses too many cops." Jody set about tidying up the room, readying to leave. "The reason doesn't matter but when it does, the guys left behind they always have this haunted look like they're fighting a losing battle and they know it but they don't stop." She turned back to him. "That's you and the boys and sometimes all you need to keep going is to know that even if you fall, there'll be someone waiting to pick up the fight."

Bobby smiled at her and shook his head. "Girl, you beat all, you know that?" He shouldered his bag.

"Yep." Jody answered with a smirk and opened the door for him. "So, how about we go fight the good fight?"

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The warehouse rose up above them as Bobby and Jody silently neared. The moon had risen an hour past and they were alert for any sound that didn't belong. It hadn't been abandoned long. Most of the windows on the second story were still in place above the blank walls of the ground level. It had last been used for crop storage for the farms that spread out around it. Bobby nudged Sheriff Mills toward the side of the building and a small door.

"You remember. If it moves, shoot it." Bobby told her seriously and she nodded. "Let's go." He eased the door open and cringed at the squeal of rusted metal. "Well so much for a sneaky entrance."

"Not much of a ninja are ya?" Jody said softly, grinning up at him.

Bobby rolled his eyes, amused in spite of himself and stepped through the door with Jody at his back.

"Ugh. What is that smell?" She whispered, covering her nose for a moment while it adjusted.

"Death." Bobby turned on his flashlight and shined it into the building. "Huh. Well that's new."

In the open space ahead of them hung a body from the rafters. They advanced slowly and Bobby sighed when he got a good look. "Poor beggar." He breathed. Whoever the man had been, he'd been ripped up across his chest and pool of blood waited beneath him gone tacky as it dried. He followed the rope tied to his feet with his light and found it came back down to tie on the other side of the warehouse.

"Gonna get him down. Stay sharp." Bobby went quickly, nervous leaving Jody on her own and swiftly untied the knot to lower the victim to the ground.

"Now what?" Jody asked as he came back over.

"Well, we gotta see if the heart's gone." Bobby smiled grimly. "Then we'll know for sure it's a Werewolf."

"You mean we have to…we're gonna look inside him?" Jody looked up surprised and a little green. "Right here?"

"You got a better idea?" Bobby smirked and knelt beside the body, careful of the blood pool. He took out a slim knife and handed it to her with a challenge in his eyes. "You said you wanted to learn."

Jody took it and knelt across from him. "You know, I was gonna cook you dinner again later." She said and rolled her eyes when he chuckled. "Alright then. What do I do?"

"Right here." Bobby took the mans shredded shirt and pulled it apart, pointing to his chest. "You can go in right there, just above the heart. Already opened for ya."

"Oh eww." Jody swallowed thickly and steeled herself. She was used to seeing death and had seen some gruesome things in her time but she'd never actually cut into a body herself before and found she wasn't fond of the idea. "Just how often do you have to do this sort of thing?" She asked as she forced the blade through the cooled flesh.

"Probably more often than you wanna know just now." Bobby shrugged. "Most of the time, Coroner's don't know what they're lookin' at so we have to do it ourselves. You get used to it."

"You say so." She sawed through muscle, grimacing each time she hit bone and breathed through her mouth to avoid the worst of the smell.

"That looks good." Bobby took the blade back from her and handed her a surgical glove from his pocket. "Now, you wanna get your hand right down in there and see if you can feel the heart."

"Oh you are doing this on purpose." Jody groaned as she pulled the glove on. She stuck her tongue out at him when he smirked at her. "Aw, ok this is disgusting." She shoved her hand into the chest and tried not to think too hard about what she was doing. "Uh…Bobby? Pretty sure his heart's still in here."

"Balls." Bobby pulled on a glove of his own as she removed her hand and checked himself. "Yep it is. Well this just don't make any sense." He bent over the dean man's torso, examining the wounds and scowled. "You know, these don't look like claw marks."

"They're very neat." Jody observed. "Looks more like knife work to me." She rocked back on her heels. "Holy crap, Singer. Did we stumble on a damn serial killer here?"

"Uh, I don't think so." Bobby straightened suddenly and peeled off the glove. He let it drop and drew his gun with his eyes over her shoulder. "Jody you wanna come over here? Slowly."

"Bobby, what?" Jody froze as a low growl sounded behind her. "Oh crap."

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"Come on, sunshine. I'm starving." Dean banged on the bathroom door. "Cinnamon Buns, Sammy. Analise said Cinnamon Buns."

"Alright, alright!" Sam emerged rubbing a towel into his hair one last time with a wince as it went over the bump from his fall. "You're like a freakin junkie, you know that?" He chuckled as Dean rubbed his hands together.

Analise was waiting for them and smiled as they came in. "Boys!" She went to Sam and gave him a critical look. "You look much better today. Come on. Over here." She led them to a table in the window already set with a waiting coffee pot. "You boys sit and I'll be right back."

"I think I like her." Sam said as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sniffed deeply with a smile.

Dean chuckled. "I already like her. She bribed me with Cinnamon Buns."

Analise returned and set a plate of steaming buns in front of them, heavily drizzled in icing and laughed at the lascivious look on both men's faces. "You know, I've slapped guys for giving me that face in a bar. I think I'm jealous."

"Mmf." Sam bit into one and sighed heavily. "We're never leaving."

She left them to their food with a laugh and Dean seriously considered proposing to her if she'd promise to make these for him every morning. "Dude." Was all he managed to say around a mouthful of soft, warm flaky sweetness.

"Ok. Job now." Sam said with a satisfied smile after he finished his first bun. He waved Analise back over. "These are amazing. Thank you."

"After what you boys went through last night it was the least I could do." She blushed prettily in spite of her age and patted Sam's shoulder.

"I was wondering if you could tell us about the area." Sam smiled up at her. "We're actually here to do a story on Browning and its local legends."

"Really?" She pulled a chair over from another table and sat. "I'd never have pegged you as reporters." She chuckled. "There's quite a lot actually. Lots of local boogeymen and the like. You get that on Reservations. Anything in particular?"

Dean licked off his fingers and ducked the napkin Sam tossed at him. "Well we heard something about phantoms or hallucinations?" He shrugged. "Wasn't very clear."

"You should talk to Sinopa." Analise nodded and smiled. "She's an old woman on the outskirt of town. She's the history keeper. She'd know." She pulled over a napkin and took a pen from her apron. "This is her address. She loves willing listeners." She smirked.

"Awesome! Thanks, Analise." Dean plucked another bun from the pile and put it on his plate. "Touch my buns and die, Sammy." He said as he rose.

Sam snorted at him. "Dude, that's just wrong."

"I'll come back and check on you." Analise stood as more customers came in.

Sam watched Dean head back to the restroom and then grinned. He pulled a tube of toothpaste from his pocket. He'd snuck it out of the bathroom. He pulled Dean's plate toward him and snickered as he uncapped the tube and stuck it carefully into a crevasse in the bun. He squeezed a good portion of the tube into the center before tucking it away and used some of the runoff icing to hide his handiwork. Sam slid the plate back, making sure it was in the same position and then sat back to sip happily at his coffee.

"Sammy."

Sam jerked in his seat and refused to look over to Analise's empty chair.

"You know those things are unhealthy for you and Sammy I care about you." Lucifer leaned into his peripheral vision and Sam looked studiously down at his plate, setting his coffee down carefully. The Cinnamon Bun on Sam's plate moved. It bulged upward as he watched. There was a little pop, the center opening and blood began to pour out; it covered the bun, streaming down the sides to the plate and then onto the table. "Now that's much better for you." Lucifer leaned into him and grinned. "Come on, Sammy. Have a bite."

Sam instinctively flinched and moved closer to the window as the blood began to trickle off the edge of the table. He fisted his right hand around his left and dug viciously into his scar as Lucifer laughed.

He jumped in surprise as something thumped into the table and looked up to find Dean settling into his seat. "How you doin', Sammy?" He picked up the coffee cup he'd used to snap his brother out of whatever was putting that look on his face; it had been fear.

"Good. I'm good." Sam nodded and flicked his eyes to his right, relieved to see an empty chair once more. He gave Dean a semblance of a smile.

"Uh huh." Dean sighed. "Ok, let's take this show on the road." If Lucifer was screwing with Sam's head again then taking him out of the environment might give him more control. "We need to go see…what was her name?"

"Sinopa." Sam said automatically and hastily stood from the table. "I've got the address." He was certainly willing to leave the Diner.

Dean grabbed a few napkins and hastily wrapped up his Cinnamon bun, unwilling to leave it behind before he tossed some money on the table. "Thanks, Analise!" He called to her and followed his brother outside. They climbed in the car and Sam hastily pulled out the map to find the address while Dean raised his Cinnamon Bun and took a healthy bite.

"Take the next right." Sam pointed and tried not to smirk as Dean bit into the bun a second time. "Then straight for about a mile."

"Mmm hmm." Dean turned and as he sped up, his eyes widened in shock and he started gagging out the bun in his mouth. "What the hell?" He coughed and spat trying to get it all out and even wiped the napkins along his tongue as his mouth was assaulted with the taste of cinnamon, icing and toothpaste all at once.

Sam looked over at him with chunks and crumbs of pastry scattered all down his front and into his lap and grinned. "You do look pretty, Dean."

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed at him and would have beaten the crap out of him if they hadn't been driving. "You know I'm gonna kill you? Right?"

"Don't screw with my ringtone." Sam said sweetly and easily deflected the elbow that came for his head.

"You will pay." Dean glared over at him. "When you least expect it, Sammy."

Sam snorted and settled into the seat with a smile. "Bring it."

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Dean sat beside his brother in Sinopa's living room still brushing crumbs from his shirt. He shot another dirty look at Sam when he chuckled.

"You know food goes in your mouth, son." Sinopa said as she came back in with a tea tray.

"No kidding." Dean growled.

"Analise is a smart woman." She sat in a hide covered chair and poured out the tea. "No one knows more about the old beliefs than I do."

Sam smiled and took the offered cup. "What we're looking for is information on some sort of phantom creature or legend. That sort of thing."

"Anything that could make people see things and hurt them with the illusions." Dean added and waved off the tea.

"Oh now that's an old one." Analise leaned back in her chair with a frown. "Long before the white man came to our land there was a Shaman. Don't ask me his name. It's been lost to time but he was very powerful and craved more. He mastered the ancient art of separating one's spirit from the body to travel."

"Astral Projection." Said and she nodded.

"Think that's what they call it now." She smirked. "Well the legend says the people came to fear him. He used his ability you see to mimic the dark creatures of the underworld. There was some sort of battle and in the end they killed his body while his soul travelled. It's said his body was buried beneath where the Dam stands now." She sipped her tea and nodded in the general direction. "There's a massive old tree out there. Nothing else like it in the wilderness below the Dam. If I were a betting woman, I'd say that's where."

Dean glanced at his brother, brow raised and Sam nodded. "Thanks, Sinopa." Dean rose with Sam beside him.

"Thank you for the tea." Sam set the cup down beside Dean's and Sinopa waved a thin hand at them.

"You boys come back any time you want to hear more stories." She smiled. "Don't get to bend someone's ear about the good stuff too often."

"Can't imagine why." Dean muttered as they left. Once outside he took a few deep breaths. "Man it smells like old people in there."

"Mentholatum." Sam commented with a chuckle.

"Like I said. Old people." Dean chuckled and got in the car. "Let's go find us a funky old tree."

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"Bobby. I sure hope you've got a plan." Jody whispered as she rounded the body. She pulled her gun and Bobby took her elbow to draw her back. The Werewolf lurked just inside the large double door at the front of the warehouse. It watched them as they moved away before prowling further in and to the body. It was black with cloudy gray spots across its back. It bared its teeth at them in a growl.

"Plan's simple." Bobby nudged her slightly behind him. "Shoot." He fired and smiled grimly as his first shot took the beast in the chest. Jody's shot followed his and spun the Werewolf's head back. "Keep moving."

They reached a row of tall shelves and fired again as the creature writhed on the floor and screamed at them. It seemed to cling to whatever life it had left. "Anytime you wanna die." Bobby growled. Another sharp report from Jody's pistol blew a hole out the back of the beast's chest and it fell over backwards onto the cement. Its muscled body gave a last spasm and then went still.

"Well that was fun." Jody said with a nervous laugh and lowered her weapon. She tilted her head, hearing a strange sound. "Bobby, do you hear that? It sounds like…"

"Beeping." Bobby finished for her and turned to look at the shelves. He followed the faint sound down the row and then gasped. "Balls! Sherriff, run!" He took her arm and spun her away, taking off at a run. On the shelf had been a bundle of dynamite, wrapped and wired to a timer. "Run faster!" He yelled and pulled her along with him. They dashed past the werewolf remains that had reverted to a young, light haired man in death. Bobby counted in his head knowing they had only seconds as they reached the door.

He kicked it open and shoved Jody out ahead of him. They were a mere twenty feet away when the countdown in his head told him they were out of time. Bobby tackled Jody to the ground and covered her with his own body as the warehouse behind erupted into flames. Heat blasted over them making Bobby twitch in discomfort. He felt debris pelt his back and heard it land around them. He risked a glance under his arm and saw flames shooting up into the sky.

"Holy crap." Bobby breathed and looked down. "Sherriff? Are you ok?"

"You're on top of me, Singer." Jody chuckled and grinned up at him. "I think you can call me Jody now."

Bobby blushed brightly but he took a moment anyway; enjoying the feel of her under him and as her eyes widened in humor he leaned down and stole a kiss before rolling to the side.

Jody groaned a laugh. "Don't think I'm not gonna get you back for that, Bobby."

He chuckled, stood and turned to look at the warehouse now burning merrily.

"What the hell was that?" Jody stood and then reached behind him, slapping at his back. "You're smoking by the way."

"Someone set a trap to kill the Werewolf." Bobby said, voice becoming angry. "And when I get my hands on that idiot I'm gonna string him up."

"You know who?" Jody asked surprised and he nodded.

"Yeah, he's not the subtlest guy ever when it comes to killin' things." Bobby shook his head in disgust. "If you can imagine a Hunter too damn cowardly to actually fight, that's him. Not the first time he's blown shit up." He turned and started walking back to his truck with Jody at his side. "Also not the first time he's almost taken out innocents in the process."

"Sounds like a charmer." Jody glared back at the flaming ruin of the warehouse. "Any chance there's something not wild and weird I could get him on and toss his ass in jail?"

Bobby looked over in surprise and then laughed. "You know, I think there just might be. Kinda like the idea of that sack of crap rotting in prison." He moved to get into the truck and jumped when Jody landed a firm slap on his backside. "Woman…"

"Don't forget it." Jody laughed and went around the other side and climbed in leaving Bobby to blush and chuckle.

"Not damn likely." He rolled his eyes at himself and got in. "Time to see what the boys have gotten themselves into."

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Sam watched the trees fly by as they headed for the Dam and could feel the temperature beginning to drop as he rolled up his window. Spring came much later this far north and they'd be lucky if they finished the job without having to deal with a last minute winter blast. He made a mental note to check the weather when they got back.

"So you really think all those deaths were caused by some psycho Shaman dude?" Dean asked with a glance at Sam who looked to be a million miles away.

"Well it fits." Sam shrugged. "Can't hurt to go see if his bones are there and if anything shows up. Maybe Bobby'll call with a better idea."

A gas station came into view and Dean checked the gauge on the dash. "Pit stop. This bucket needs go juice."

"So do I." Sam held up his empty coffee cup and gave it a rattle. He was weary enough after last night to want to sleep the rest of the way but the pounding in his head and the deeper fear of dreaming made him decide in favor of caffeine.

There were a few Semi's pulled up on the far side of the gas station and a couple cars at the pumps. Dean pulled in and decided the place didn't look to sleezy.

"I'm gonna load the caffeine while you pump." Sam gave him a smile and got out.

Dean watched him go and shook his head. He knew damn well Sam was caffeinating to avoid sleeping in the car and he supposed he couldn't blame after his episode in the diner. The big brother in him wished he could reach into Sam's head and just rip out the uncountable years of Hell that were plaguing him. At the same time he felt a certain amount of admiration that the kid was handling it so well.

He started the pump, holding the handle in place and felt his nerves tingle as a man passed him. Dean looked up to see an unkempt man, tall with wiry black hair coming from a big rig. The man gave him a once over as he passed Dean before turning away and going into the station.

"Creep." Dean muttered, instantly disliking him. The tank full, he headed into the station and saw his brother attacking the coffee station. Dean went past him and nudged his elbow, making him dribble coffee on the counter. "Better watch that, Sammy."

"Jerk." Sam tossed at him with a laugh.

Dean went to the snack aisle and settled about making the important decision of what to stuff his face with while driving; preferably something that would make Sam groan while he was doing it. He smirked as he collected various things and turned to head to the counter. He growled softly when he saw the creepy trucker from outside standing behind his brother as he paid; eyes firmly south of Sam's belt. He let a little of the irrational tension go as Sam walked out of the store and tossed Dean a wave to say he'd be outside waiting. Dean stood behind the creep and dropped his haul on the counter when he left. Something about the man made him want to face plant him into the cement.

"That all for you?" The clerk asked Dean and he nodded, quickly tossing cash on the counter. Dean watched the man step outside and couldn't shake the bad feeling.

Sam set his coffee cup on the roof of the car and reached down to open the door as something heavy slammed into him from behind. He grunted as he was pressed into the door and saw a small knife appear in his peripheral vision.

"This doesn't have to be messy." The man whispered in Sam's ear. "You just walk with me to my truck and nobody gets hurt."

Sam felt a surge of anger and rather than cooperate, he slid his own knife out and spun to plant it at the man's throat. He was tall, stringy dark hair and looked utterly shocked to find Sam's much larger knife at his neck. "How about you get the hell away from me?" The man jerked in terror suddenly as a gun pressed against his temple and the trigger cocked in his ear.

"Now that sounds like a good idea." Dean growled at him "You so much as twitch and I will splatter your brains on this parking lot."

"Oh god, don't kill me!" He begged and didn't argue when Dean fisted a hand in the back of his shirt and yanked him away from his brother.

"Sammy, you good?" Dean asked and got a quick nod before Sam launched a fist into the creep's stomach. He dropped like a stone and Dean grinned at him. "Nice."

"Can we go now?" Sam put his knife away and glanced around, happy to see no one seemed to have noticed the short altercation.

"Yeah." Dean tucked his gun behind his back and delivered a short, hard kick to the man's back. He leaned down and pulled his head up. "I wanna be clear. That's my brother. Most people who screw with him don't walk away." Dean waited and the man shook in abject fear. "If I ever see your face again no one's ever gonna find the body. You understand me?"

The man nodded and scrambled away on his hands and knees before stumbling to his feet and running to his truck.

"Let's go, Sammy." Dean rounded the car as the truck rumbled to life and sped out.

Sam shook off the anger that had suffused him and took a deep breath before getting in the car.

"Sam?" Dean looked over at him, an amused smile on his face.

"What?" Sam glanced over and frowned.

"Forget anything?" Dean didn't quite smother the chuckle. "Coffee. Roof. Ring any bells?"

"Oh hell." Sam rolled his eyes and reached up, pulling his coffee cup in. "I knew that."

Dean shook his head and got them moving again, cheerfully putting distance between them and the stalker trucker.

An hour later Dean was beginning to become sick of trees. It was all they had to look at aside from the occasional passing car and even those were becoming sparser. As the afternoon wore on the temperature continued to steadily drop and he figured it had to be near freezing now. Sam was huddled in his coat and looked to be halfway to dozing off. Dean smirked and reached down to turn on the heater. He looked back up to the road and reared back as he stomped on the brakes.

"Shit!" Dean shouted and swerved hard to avoid crashing into the twelve point Buck standing in the middle of the road.

Sam jerked awake from his doze as he slid across the seat toward Dean and briefly saw the surprised face of a Deer before the car spun again and he was thrown into the door. His head struck the glass as he heard Dean shout his name and everything went black.

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Dean startled awake to find himself heeled over on his right side against his little brother. "Crap. Sam?" He pushed himself up and looked over at him. Sam lay with his head against the window, a spiderweb of cracks spiraling out from him. "Son of a bitch." Dean rubbed his own head, feeling a growing lump high on his forehead from the steering wheel and looked outside. There was no sign of the Deer and he sincerely hoped someone else ended up with the damn thing on their wall.

"Sammy." Dean took his shoulder and pulled him up from the window. "Come on, buddy. Wake up." Dean turned his head so he could see and was grateful there was no blood. "No way that was enough of a smack to put you down, Sam. Wake up!" He gave him a shake and was rewarded with a bad tempered groan. "That's my boy."

"Was there a Deer?" Sam asked finally and raised a hand to the side of his head.

"Yeah." Dean pulled his head around to check his eyes and frowned. Sam's pupils were even but they were slow reacting to the light as he blinked. "How are you feeling?"

Sam looked blearily over at the passenger window and then gave him a lopsided smile. "Like my brother tried to use my head as a battering ram."

"Ha ha. That all?" Dean gave him a severe look and Sam shrugged.

"I'll be fine." Sam assured him and felt no need to mention he was dizzy because of course he was.

"You better be." Dean straightened behind the wheel and found the engine still idling. It took him a few tries to get the wheels out of the shallow ditch but after a few minutes they were back on the road. "You know just once I'd like a nice quiet drive at the end of which the big bad whatever it is kindly ganks itself to save us the trouble."

Sam snorted. "Wouldn't be much of a job then." He rubbed his head and winced. "Then again…"

Dean kept an eye on him as they drove and took mental notes of his paling skin and pained expression. Two solid knocks to the head in twenty-four hours were not doing him any favors. He was tempted to turn around and start again tomorrow; give Sam a day to recover but knew how well that idea would be received.

"I'm fine, Dean." Sam said suddenly and looked at him, amused. "Don't have to be psychic to see 'worried big brother' all over your face."

"No, that's indigestion from eating toothpaste, jackass." Dean glowered at him. Sam laughed and went back to counting trees against the headache behind his eyes.

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The Hungry Horse Dam towered above them. Ever so often the river channel that grew from the Dam's spillway would twinkle at them through the trees in the late afternoon sun. Finding an unusually large tree had actually not been that difficult. As they'd parked on the ridge above the base of the Dam they had clearly seen one massive, gnarled tree rising above the others. They hiked down into the ravine toward it and hoped the dispossessed spirit of the Shaman didn't make a return visit.

As the sun dropped the cold grew yet Sam found himself sweating beneath his jacket, mopping it from his brow with his sleeve. He stumbled and caught himself on a trunk. The dizziness was growing yet he said nothing. People had died, would die if they didn't do their job and they couldn't afford to coddle him for a minor concussion…or so he reasoned with himself. He followed the blur ahead of him that was Dean as they went steadily downhill and groaned at the thought of climbing back up later.

"Pick it up, Sam." Dean called back. He glanced and then stopped to take a hard look. "Sam. You don't look so good."

"I don't think he trusts us, bunk buddy." Lucifer suddenly chimed in from beside Sam and he flinched.

"I'm good." Sam said in reply but didn't look up. His eyes were now focused on his feet, trying not to give in to the urge to fall.

"Gosh, Sam I don't know about Dean but I'm convinced." Lucifer chuckled and rolled his eyes. He leaned in to Sam's face and held up his hand. "How many fingers?"

Sam shook his head and mopped more sweat from his face. He jerked to a stop as he heard the distinct rattle of chains. "No." He muttered and started moving again.

"Sam?" Dean's voice suddenly next to him made him jerk backwards and land on his backside. "Ok that's it. We're going back. You are not alright."

Sam looked up at him and grudgingly agreed as his brother's image swam in and out. "Something's wrong."

"You think?" Dean knelt in front of him and tried to keep the concern from his voice. "What's going on, Sam?"

"Hot." Sam said and flinched his head away as Lucifer reached a hand out to his face.

"Whoa, Sammy. It's just me." Dean said calmly and tried again. Sam's eyes were fever bright, his skin flushed and it was clear he couldn't focus his vision enough to see Dean.

"Sorry." Sam closed his eyes and tried not to lurch away when the cool hand landed on his neck for a moment. "Dean."

"Right here, Sam." Dean kept his voice even though his heart was now pounding. He was angry with himself for not just taking Sam back to the motel, argument or no after the near miss with the Deer. You never screw around with a concussion their Dad had drilled into them time and again and yet here they were with Sam worsening by the minute and it was his fault.

"We're gonna go back to the car, ok Sam?" Dean asked and had to turn his head to face him. "Sam."

"Car." Sam nodded sluggishly and had yet to reopen his eyes.

"Crap. Come on, tiger." Dean slid under his brother's shoulder and pulled him slowly to his feet. Getting him turned back uphill took a moment as Sam seemed determined to over balance down the hill and the constant flinches as though he were hearing and seeing things added another level of difficulty. Dean decided then and there that their first stop would not be the motel but a hospital.

"Gimme some help here, Sam." Dean asked, pulling Sam's weight up beside him.

"There an earthquake?" Sam asked and glanced around in surprise. "Ground's movin'."

"Just keep walking. I've got you." Dean groaned as his phone rang and struggled to get it out of his pocket without losing his grip on the ever more unsteady little brother beside him. "Hello?"

"Dean." Bobby's voice greeted him. "How's the hunt going? Anymore phantom attacks?"

"Bobby." Dean couldn't keep the relief out of his voice. "Hunt's on hold."

"What's wrong?" Dean could clearly hear the instant worry and smiled, glad he was no longer the only one.

"Sam's taken one too many hits to the head." Dean sighed and tightened his grip on Sam. "Last one was my fault. I wasn't watching the road. It was just for a second but dammit Bobby I almost wrecked the car and cracked his head. He already had a concussion."

"Ok, Dean. He's gonna be fine. Just get him to a hospital." Bobby said calmly.

"Yeah, about that." Dean ducked his head reflexively. "We're kinda in the middle of nowhere at the moment."

"Dean. Where'd you go? Dean?" Sam asked suddenly and lifted his head in confusion.

"Hey, Sammy. I'm right here. Hang on, Bobby." Dean reached up to Sam's left hand on his shoulder and squeezed his thumb hard into the palm. "Right here, Sammy. Come on." But the concussion seemed to dull the pain from their little trick and it did little to calm him. He put the phone back to his ear. "He's in trouble."

"Tell me where you are?" Bobby asked and repeated the information to Jody beside him in the truck. "We're only about an hour away from you. Jody says the nearest hospital is in Columbia Falls, about seven miles East of you."

"Ok, thanks Bobby." He grunted as more of Sam's weight settled onto his shoulders. "Gotta go." He hung up, tucking the phone away and got a more secure grip on him. "You with me, Sam?"

"Chains wont stop." Sam muttered and Dean felt a fine tremor begin to run through him. "Wont leave me 'lone, Dean."

"Aw, Sammy." Dean sighed. He knew now exactly what was happening; the concussion had become severe enough to ruin his ability to tell reality from hallucination.

"Shuddup." Sam said suddenly, angrily. "Won' stop singing."

Twenty long minutes later Dean got him back to the car and folded into the passenger seat as he sped away from the Dam and East toward Columbia Falls; all the while choking on guilt and worry as Sam steadily worsened beside him.

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_To Be Continued...  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Prompts in this chapter: Boys attacked by phantoms on way to hospital, Bobby and Jody to the rescue when they don't show; Sam pukes on himself and Dean; Boys fall down a hill, Dean bruised, Sam broken wrist; Lucifer tricks Sam and Jody saves him; hurt!sam hospital scene with worried Dean; guilty!dean; Nurses overhear disturbing things from Sam; Bobby and Jody take over hunt while Dean stays with Sam; Reckless hunter shows up and causes more trouble; Sam admitted to Psych ward; Bobby and Jody tonsil hockey; Dean composes Haiku to calm Sam; Dean hurts Sam to help him; Drugged Sam flashes back on Dean not trusting him; Gas station douche-bag returns; ER doc knows about phantom; Sam restrained in hospital; Sam goofy giggling on drugs; Dean gets cut, Sam sews him up; Jody gets upper hand with gas station douche-bag; Luci sing-a-long.

_**CHAPTER 4** _

Dean drove with one hand on the wheel and the other on the back of Sam's neck, trying to anchor him to the reality that was quickly eluding him thanks to the worsening concussion.

"Stay with me, buddy." Dean ruthlessly squashed down the fear of losing him that had been his constant companion since the moment Death had put the wall up in his head. It had only magnified when Castiel had tumbled it down and this was not helping his calm.

Sam had his head back on the headrest, eyes closed tight in pain as he muttered and moaned at things Dean couldn't see or hear. "Not real." He whispered and wished that Lucifer would stop taunting him with his brother's voice; so close he could almost believe Dean was there.

"Dammit, Sammy I _am_ here." Dean wanted to shake him but couldn't risk aggravating his injury. There was a loud rumbling sound from his left. Dean slowed and looked out then up and gasped. "Holy crap!" Emerging from above the trees was a dark cloud churning and boiling into view; lightning flashing within its depths as it moved like something alive and Dean knew…it was. It was a cloud of demons, a phenomena he had only seen a handful of times in his life.

"Not now you bastards!" Dean swerved to try and avoid them and growled in anger as the car shuddered with their impact. "Hang on, Sam!" The cloud smashed into the side of the car and Dean braced one hand on the roof as they were rolled off the concrete and up against a line of trees.

Sam felt the world tip upside down, felt his seatbelt bite into his waist as it fought to hold him up. He opened his eyes to find himself hanging upside down. "Dean?" Sam looked over and found his brother groaning, eyes closed. He reared back as a dark cloud of demons descended into view beyond the driver's side window. "Dean!" He fumbled to unhook his seatbelt and grunted as he dropped onto the roof. Sam was relieved to find his window had been shattered. He took hold of Dean's shoulders and pulled him with him as he backed out over the glass and into the ditch. His head was pounding so badly it made his eyes water and burn but he didn't stop. The demon cloud was preoccupied with the car and paying them no attention.

"Dean." Sam whispered in his ear. "Dean you gotta w-wake up." He'd pulled him over the crest of the ditch and found they were on the slope of a steep, forested hill. Sam let his head fall forward, too exhausted to keep it up anymore as the sound of his jailor's cheerful whistling began to grow louder in his ears.

"Sam?" Dean gave his head a shake to clear the confusion. He remembered banging it on the roof when the car rolled. He got his eyes open and saw Sam next to him hunched over cradling his head. "Where are they? The demons."

"Demons." Sam raised a hand up the hill.

Dean turned to look and then threw himself over Sam, bowling him to the ground as the car exploded on the road above. They tumbled further down the hill, rolling as the explosion roared above them. The sound fell away finally and Dean saw stars as he came to a hard stop wrapped around the bole of a tree. "Son of a bitch." He hissed and rolled to his side, curling around his stomach. He assessed quickly; bruised stomach, maybe a rib and he lifted his arm to see a new rent in the sleeve of his jacket with blood seeping into the fabric.

Dean lifted his head and got to his knees, crawling the few feet to his brother. "Sam? You ok?" Sam scrambled back to his knees but seemed to take no notice of Dean speaking to him as he fought his own demons. "Sammy?" Dean frowned, seeing him curled over his left arm. "Let me look, Sam." He kept speaking to him even though Sam wasn't hearing, hoping that eventually he'd get through. It took him several tries to uncurl the arm and Sam hissed in pain as he wrapped his fingers around the wrist.

"Well hell, Sam." Dean sighed. "Think you finally broke the other one." He let Sam have his arm back and took a moment to just get his breath back against the ache in his gut from the impact with the tree. Sam chose that moment to lean forward and heave what little he had in his stomach on his own knee and into Dean's lap. Dean cursed and pulled out of the way. He grabbed a handful of leaves to wipe it off and then caught Sam when he toppled sideways.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Dean said, holding on to him as he shook; he was beyond pale now, skin tacky and his eyes, when Dean could see them were rolling in his head. The kernel of fear that Sam's concussion was serious grew into a scream. He'd seen these symptoms before as a teenager when their Dad had taken a particularly hard knock and knew how easy it was to pass the point of no return without help.

"Sam, you gotta come back now." Dean took his left hand, careful of the broken wrist and pressed hard into the scar. "I know it's hard to focus right now but this is real. I'm here and you're out and you gotta pull it together." He dug his nails into Sam's palm and got nothing more than a moan of discomfort and plea to make it stop. "Sorry, kiddo." Dean reached down to his boot and pulled out the small knife he kept there. Under normal circumstances it was something he would never do but he needed Sam lucid. He sliced the blade along Sam's left palm and held him tight when he jerked suddenly. "Sammy?"

"Dean!" Sam gasped and tried to hold his wrist and his hand at the same time. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Concussion, Sam. It's bad." Dean propped him up. "I need you to stay with me here."

"Trying." Sam closed his eyes as Lucifer began whispering in his ear again. "Won' go away." He could hear that he was slurring badly but couldn't make the words come clear. "There were…Demons?" He asked and Dean nodded. "Kay, that was real. Car?"

"Blown up." Dean let Sam pull his arm back into his chest, cradling it. "I don't think they're after us."

"Good. Thas good." Sam nodded slowly and instantly regretted the movement. It felt like his brain was trying to climb out of his skull. "Hur's. Head…hurts."

"It'll be ok." Dean assured him. "I'll call Bobby. Have him come get us."

"Bobby." Sam flinched as Lucifer laughed in his ear.

"Aw, Sammy." Lucifer tsked and shook his head. "You're done for, buddy. Dean's just too chicken to tell you. They're going to bury you when he gets here."

"No. No." Sam shook his head minutely. "Won't."

"Little bird with a broken wing." Lucifer said in a sing-song voice and Sam looked up to see him shoveling out a hole. "Any minute now, big brother's gonna make you lay down Sammy. Lay down forever." Lucifer chuckled.

"Sam. Sam, come on." Dean pressed his thumb into the bleeding cut and held on to him. "Lay down for me, kid." He tried to ease him over but Sam was rigid in his arms. "Sam?"

"No!" Sam shouted and swung out with his arm. Lucifer laughed and danced about, waving Sam over to his grave. He felt his elbow connect with something and the hands…or were they chains holding him loosened. He scrambled to his feet, uncaring of the pain that sang up his left arm and ran unsteadily into the forest and downhill.

Dean gasped on the ground, arms wrapped around his middle where Sam's elbow had impacted on his already bruised flesh. "Crap." He gasped. "Sam." He could only watch Sam vanish into the trees and try to get a breath past the pain as his vision tunneled.

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"They're not here." Bobby strode back into the Hospital waiting room and to Jody.

"What do you mean not here?" She stared. "They should have beaten us here. They should be here already."

"I dunno." Bobby pulled out his cell phone and dialed Dean's. It went straight to voicemail and Sam's did the same. "Wherever they are there's no cell service." He looked around the little hospital's waiting area and then took Sheriff Mill's arm. "Come on. We know where they were coming from."

They ran back out to his truck and Bobby squealed rubber out of the parking lot. They were matching expressions of worry. No part of the job he'd sent them on had gone the way it was supposed to. He sped down the lonely highway toward the Dam and smiled softly when Jody reached over and squeezed his arm.

"We'll find them. They'll be ok." She said, voice sure. "Cause you won't let them be anything else."

"Damn right I won't." Bobby nodded. "Those idjits better not be kicked back somewhere having a beer." He knew in his gut something was wrong and ten minutes later those feelings worsened as he pulled up alongside the blue Challenger on the side of the road. It was nosed into a tree but otherwise unharmed. "What the hell?"

They got out and circled the car. The passenger door was open and Bobby could hear the engine idling. He opened the driver's door and leaned in, turning it off. "You see anything?"

"Tracks over here." Jody pointed. "Down into the ditch and then up and over into the trees."

Bobby grabbed his shotgun from the truck and went to look. "Someone dragging someone else." He said softly. "Let's go." The sun was sinking, night only minutes away and the temperature was barely above freezing. They scrambled up the small rise and then down the hill on the other side following the clear marks left in the ground cover.

"Dean!" Jody called. "Sam!"

"Dean?" Bobby shouted and then put on speed as he heard a voice return his call. He used the trees to help him down the hill and skidded to a stop when they found him. "Dean!" Bobby dropped next to him and helped him sit up. "What the hell happened?"

"Where's Sam?" Jody looked about but saw no sign of him.

"Bobby. Be careful." Dean grabbed his arm. "Demons. Came out of nowhere. They totaled the car and we ran." He took another deep breath. "Blew up the damn car and Sam…he's bad Bobby. I can't get him back. He took off." He pointed into the trees.

"The car?" Bobby looked confused. "Son, the car's fine. Found it up the hill there with the engine still running."

"What?" Dean shook his head and fought to order his thoughts. "No. No we saw it go, Bobby. There was a…a whole cloud of them and they rammed us."

Bobby shook his head slowly, concern etched into his features. "Dean, there were no Demons. I'd have seen the signs. Aint nothin' up there but an empty car."

"Got him." Jody said suddenly and rose from where she knelt. "Found his tracks. You stay with him, Bobby."

"Careful." Bobby warned her. "Sam might not know what's real right now."

"He doesn't." Dean said sadly. "Concussion's killing him and he can't…he's lost in his head."

"Ok, we'll find him." Bobby assured him. "Now what's wrong with you?"

"Fell down the hill." Dean rolled his eyes up to the other man. "Had an argument with a tree. I'm ok."

'Uh huh. That's why you look like that?" Bobby smirked at him. "Lemme see." He tugged Dean's shirts up and shook his head at the vivid bruising on his stomach. "Anything broke?"

Dean shook his head. "Don't think so. Just…hurts like a bitch."

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Jody followed the staggering footprints further down the hill. It was darkening fast and she blinked to adjust her eyes to the dimming light. "Sam?" She called his name but wasn't sure he would answer even if he could hear her. She stopped and listened and realized she could hear something; a whispering voice. She followed the sound and rounded a large tree to find him. He knelt on the leafy ground, hunched over himself and muttered softly.

"Not real. Not real. Not real." Sam said over and over, trying to make it so. Every time he opened his eyes there was nothing but fire and the devil. Voices called his name and he shuddered and made himself small so they wouldn't find him.

"Aw, Sam." Jody dropped to her knees beside him and put a tentative hand on the young man's shoulder. He jerked beneath her touch but didn't flee. "Sam, it's me. Sheriff Mills." She ran a hand into his hair soothingly. "It's Jody. Sam?"

"Not real. Not real."

"Yes I am, Sam. Your brother and Bobby are worried about you." Jody moved closer and eased an arm over his shaking shoulders. She hissed in fear as she saw a trickle of blood from his ear; a clear sign of a dangerous head wound. She did the only thing she could think of and pulled him into her chest, wrapping her arms around him and hoped he'd be confused enough to come back. "I've got you, Sam. You're safe." She held him tight and rested her head in his hair.

Sam felt arms wrap him up and heard the steady thump of a heart beneath his ear. It dulled the screams he heard and the never ending clang of the chains; driving them back and he fought to open his eyes and see.

"That's it, Sam." Jody encouraged, feeling some of the tension ease across his shoulders. She tunneled her fingers into his hair and held him tighter. "You're safe. It's ok. You're safe, Sam I promise."

"Wha's…happening?" Sam blinked exhausted eyes open and found Sheriff Jody Mills holding him and smiling gently down at him.

"You have a concussion, kiddo." She held him tightly when he would have moved away. "You need a doctor and Dean's back up the hill a ways worried about you."

"Dean." Sam let his head drop back to her shoulder, near tears from the pressure pounding at him.

"What do you think, Sam? Can we go back?" Jody eased her grip a little and earned a small nod. "That's my boy." She knew he was far too grown to be mothered but the condition he was in now…her mother instincts were in high gear and she ran with it. "I'm not gonna let go, ok? You just work with me here." Jody wasn't sure if he actually believed she was there or not but he wasn't fighting her as she got him standing and he let her lead him through the trees.

"There were…demons." Sam mumbled.

"No, Sam. They were phantoms." Jody found she needn't have worried about holding on to him; he was in no condition anymore to stand on his own and she grunted under the weight as she lugged him up the incline. "I'm real. Dean's real. Bobby's here and he's real too."

"Singin." Sam staggered. "He's singing."

"No he's not, Sam." Jody sighed in relief when the beam of a flashlight found them in the pre-dark.

"Damn boy." Bobby sad sadly as he played the light over Sam. "You're a mess and then some. Here, let me." Bobby moved to slide under Sam's left shoulder and took some of the weight from Jody.

"Sheriff?" Sam said, sounding scared.

"Right here, Sam." She took his arm again. "Still got you, kiddo."

Sam nodded, letting his eyes closed. He couldn't quite make himself believe she was really there but he missed the sound of her voice when it went away.

"Sam!" Dean stumbled forward to grab his brother when they appeared. "Watch his arm, Bobby. Left wrist is broken I think. Sam, you in there?"

"He's in and out." Jody told him. "We need to get him to the hospital now."

"Up the hill, Dean. We'll bring Sam." Jody ordered and gave him a push when he would have argued.

Dean growled but turned and started back up the hill. The look on Bobby's face said he wouldn't get anywhere with him and frankly he was too tired to fight about it. At the top of the hill he stopped in his tracks and stared in shock. Sitting in the beam of headlights from Bobby's truck was the Challenger; untouched and unburnt just like he'd said.

"We find that phantom I'm cutting the damn thing's head off." Dean said angrily and stumbled down the short rise back to the car. Sam was muttering incoherently again interspersed with Jody and Bobby trying to talk to him; anchor him but it was a losing battle.

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Dean stood near the bed Sam was laid out on in the Emergency Room and watched as they poured over his little brother.

Bobby put a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be fine, Son. You'll see." Dean nodded and tried hard to believe that. "Sheriff and I are gonna go back to the Dam." Bobby leaned into him so the army of Doctors and Nurses wouldn't overhear. "You just take care of him."

"Thanks, Bobby." Dean said as he left and he went over to his brother.

"Sir, you need to wait outside." A Doctor pointed toward the door.

"Not gonna happen." Dean glared at the man. "I'm staying with my brother."

"You're in the way here." The Doctor argued. "You need to let us help him."

"You can help him just fine with me right here." Dean moved behind the head of the bed so he was out of the way and still close enough to keep a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I'm not leaving him. Get used to it."

The Doctor sighed and threw his hands up. "Fine but if you get in the way I will have security remove you."

"They can try." Dean muttered angrily and turned his attention back to his brother. For the moment Sam was relatively quiet; his eyes closed tight and saying little but the way his head would sometimes twitch one way and the other let him know he was still hearing things. He stood quietly by through the next twenty minutes as they assessed Sam, poking and prodding; none of which was helping his delirium. It only served to agitate him and Dean was hoping Sam could hold it together long enough to not start spouting things that would get them both in trouble.

"Dean." The Doctor came over to him with a small smile. "We need to give him an MRI and see how bad the intra-cranial pressure is." He paused. "If there's any damage."

"Ok. Go ahead." Dean nodded and the Doctor put a hand on his arm.

"We'll take him right now but…you can't be in the room while we do. You'll have to wait outside." He removed his hand as Dean glared at him. "I understand you're protective but I promise you we'll take good care of him."

"I already told you. Not gonna happen." Dean looked down at Sam. "He doesn't do well in hospitals. Neither do I." He wished he could tell the Doctor about Leviathans and that he wouldn't leave him because he couldn't trust someone not to try and eat his little brother.

"Dean, you can wait right outside the room and I'll be with him." The Doctor tried for reasonable having never met someone as unreasonable as this man was. "I'm Doctor Geery. Nothing's going to happen to him but we need to run these tests and now. Please let us help him."

Dean growled and stepped back finally. It was no use protecting Sam if he died because of it. The nurses who had all nervously hung back swarmed the bed and quickly moved it away. "Anything happens to him and I will find you, Doc."

"He's in a hospital, Dean. What could possibly happen to him?" Doctor Geery asked and turned away, missing the dangerous look that crossed Dean's face.

Dean followed along until they pushed Sam through a door marked 'Magnetic Resonance Imaging' where Doctor Geery gently pushed him back. He leaned on the wall beside the door trying to ignore his nerves and wait.

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Sam felt something settle over his wrists and then his ankles. "Don't." He said softly from inside his delirium. "No, no chains, please." He was in Hell and they were starting again. Lucifer's happy chuckle in his ear told him it was true.

The Nurse strapping Sam in paled and rested a hand on his forehead for a moment. "Whatever happened to him?" She looked over to the other Nurse prepping the large machine as Sam moaned and jerked against the restraints.

"No, no fire. Please no more."

"Good god." The nurses breathed to each other.

Sam pulled at the chains that held him, hearing only the Devil's voice taunting him with remembered tortures. "Dean!" He shouted, as he had so many times and as always there was no answer but the pain.

"We should call someone." The first Nurse watched as Sam was pulled into the giant, metal tube of the machine. "Poor guy's cracked up or something. Did you hear what he said?"

"Something about Lucifer." The other Nurse crossed herself. "I'll call up to Psych. See who's on duty."

"What about Doctor Geery?" The first Nurse looked through the window where the Doctor operated the machine, staring intently at the screen.

"He's got enough on his mind with ER duty tonight."

Sam fought the things restraining as something knocked loud around him over and over, tormenting him with the sound. He opened his eyes to find himself in a metal coffin and the devil laid out beside him.

"We haven't tried burying you alive for a while, Sammy. What do you say?" Lucifer grinned at him and banged his fist into the metal as Sam shouted to be released.

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Dean fidgeted outside the door. "This is taking too long." He grumbled and turned to push his way in when it opened and Doctor Geery emerged.

"Dean." The Doctor pulled him a few feet away.

"How is he? Is he alright?" Dean asked immediately.

"He'll be fine. I've administered a cocktail of drugs that will help alleviate the cerebral swelling. He'll be lucid again in a few hours and the pain should subside in a day or so. Dean, look I…" He paused and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Sam was, apparently talking while the Nurses were prepping him; raving about the Devil and phantoms. They didn't ask me." He looked angry all at once, glaring at the closed door behind Dean.

"What's going on?" Dean stood straighter, bracing himself for a fight if need be.

"They slipped out and called Doctor Martin. They didn't tell me and believe me neither one of them is going to have a job here tomorrow." Dr. Geery put a hand on Dean's shoulder. "They've taken Sam upstairs to Ward 12 against my recommendation. It's the Psych ward."

"They what?" Dean shouted and turned, barging through the doors and into another hall, intent on doing bodily harm to anyone between him and Sam.

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Bobby looked down the forested hill into the ravine below the Dam and sighed. "Wish we could wait til daylight."

Jody chuckled. "Well at least we know roughly where this tree is thanks to Dean. Come on, mountain man." She thumped his arm and pulled a rifle from the truck. "Let's go find us a tree."

Bobby grinned and grabbed his duffel bag and a shotgun to follow behind her. "I love that you aint one of them wiltin' violet women."

"You implying I'm a dirty, backwoods cop?" Jody smirked over her shoulder at him.

"I like ya dirty." Bobby said and then blushed when she laughed. "I mean..I mean I like ya…oh balls."

"Hard to believe the girls aren't knockin' down your door, Bobby." Jody laughed while he sputtered.

They walked on in companionable silence, navigating the steep hillside with their flashlights and stayed along the base of the Dam. They neared the bottom and Bobby whistled as he looked up. "That is one hell of a tree." Even in the dark they could see the top of a massive tree outlined against the night sky rising up another forty yards or so ahead of them.

"So what do we do when we get there exactly?" Jody asked and dropped back to walk beside him.

"Dig up the bones, salt 'em. Burn 'em." Bobby nodded. "Easy…so long as the spirit doesn't show up to take exception."

"And how often does that happen?" Jody asked, looking up at him.

Bobby chuckled. "Oh just about every damn time." He raised his shotgun. "Loaded with salt rounds. I'll dig, you can keep my ass in one piece."

"Now there's a job I can get behind." Jody said with a smile and Bobby groaned a laugh.

A second later the night lit up with a massive flash. Sound blew through the trees like a wave and threw them back off their feet as flames and bits of tree erupted up into the air ahead of them. Bobby crashed into the ground and rolled against a tree. He grunted when Jody landed atop him and scrambled to sit up and see what was happening.

"Bobby?" Jody rolled her head up and blew her hair out of her eyes.

"You ok?" Bobby pulled her around to get a look at her.

"Better than you." Jody reached up and slapped a hand against his head. "Hat's on fire." She grinned as Bobby cussed and pulled his hat off. He slapped it into the ground until it was only smoking and put it back on.

"Come on. I got a feeling I know what's going on." He stood and pulled her up with him. "No way we almost get blown up twice in two days and it's a coincidence."

"You idiot hunter friend?" Jody stumbled up behind him and gasped as they came out in a burning clearing.

"Aint no friend of mine." Bobby growled. The tree they'd been after was gone. Splinters of it were embedded in the surrounding trees and in the wall of the Dam itself. A small crater had been blown in the soft earth and an army of little fires filled the clearing, smoldering away at what was left of the grass.

"I'm ashamed of you, Bobby." A young man stepped out from behind a tree at the opposite side of the clearing and grinned. "You could have had this mess done with hours back but you stopped to take care of those two Winchester idiots instead." He dusted his fingers on his army jacket. "I cleaned up your mess for you. Again. Bugged your truck while you were in the hospital the first time. Made for interesting listening."

"Frank, you son of a bitch!" Bobby stalked closer to him and stopped when a gun was leveled at him. "You could'a killed us! Almost did kill us night before last in Wyoming! What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Not my fault you're getting old and slow." Frank shrugged. "Maybe it's time you left the work to us younger guys."

"I'll show you old and slow you snot-nosed little shit." Bobby swung out with his shotgun, knocking Franks handgun away and tackled him back into a tree. Frank groaned with the impact and kicked out, pushing Bobby back until he could roll away. He didn't bother with the fight, taking off into the dark woods instead.

"Bobby, you alright?" Jody grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Balls!" Bobby shouted. He bent and picked up his shotgun. "I'll be back."

"Bobby, wait!" Jody kept her grip on his arm and dragged him back. "Leave him. I'll take care of it. Just let me do this my way."

"Your way?" Bobby asked angrily. "He damn near killed us again and you want me to just let him go?"

"No I want you to let me get rid of him." Jody waved an arm behind them. "He set off an explosive at a Dam, Bobby. That's terrorism these days. I know a Fed who'd love to hand him over to Homeland Security and I promise you that son of a bitch will never see the light of day again when they get through with him."

"Homeland Security." Bobby repeated and then let a slow smile spread across his face. "Frank Kendall Jr." He liked the idea of the reckless idiot tucked away in a hole in Gitmo for the rest of his life.

Jody nodded and patted his arm. "Thanks, Bobby." She was relieved to have stopped him. No matter how good a Hunter Bobby was, she had a bad feeling that Frank would have the upper hand because killing humans didn't seem to be an issue for him.

"Let's go back and check on the boys then." Bobby surveyed the destroyed area. "He's an asshole and an idiot but he would have made sure the bones went up." He looked darkly back into the woods. "He better have cause we'll never find 'em now if he didn't."

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Dean anxiously followed along behind Doctor Geery. He'd gotten them past two secured points and was leading him now to what he hoped was Sam's room. There were a disturbing number of patients just wandering the hall talking to themselves, talking to the wall in a few cases and one guy perched on top of a drinking fountain and flapping his arms like they were wings.

"That's Doctor Martin." Geery pointed to a white coated man standing beside a closed door. "Doctor." He called and smiled as they reached him. "This is Dean Carmichael. You have his brother Sam I believe."

"Ah yes, Sam." Doctor Martin looked at the closed door and then at Dean.

"What the hell have you done with him?" Dean stepped forward and got in his face. "You had no right to just take him."

"Mr. Carmichael, I had every right. Sam is exhibiting every symptom of textbook psychosis not to mention hallucinations and this fixation he seems to have with the Devil." He shrugged. "I'm afraid I had no choice but to bring him here. He needs help."

"Well you can't keep him." Dean glared at the man. "Soon as his head's better I'm taking him out of here."

"We'll see." Doctor Martin smiled and made Dean dislike him even more. "You're welcome to visit but he's still having a delusional episode. I'm hoping the medication will help to control it. I'll check back on him later."

Dean watched him go and clenched his fists.

"Dean, I'm so sorry." Doctor Geery shook his head. "Look I…" He stopped and checked to make sure no one was listening. "I don't think Sam's delusional. These…phantom things were tormenting my daughter for days. You wouldn't believe the things she said. I haven't told anyone because they'd think I was nuts." He sighed. "I'm not sure they'd be wrong but it stopped a couple days ago. They just left her alone."

"Like they found someone else to pick on." Dean nodded and looked at the door. "How do I get him out of here?"

"Stay with him. I'm going to see what I can do just…he does need to be here for another twelve hours at least, Dean. We have to be sure the drugs are working on the swelling."

Dean nodded, not promising anything and the Doctor left him. He opened the door, stepped inside and barely resisted the urge to run out after Martin and beat him senseless. Sam was strapped into his bed at ankles, wrists and chest and thrashing helplessly against them.

"Son of a bitch." Dean went to the bed and leaned down to take his face in his hands. "Sammy?"

"Dean!" Sam gasped.

"Right here, Sam." Dean reached down and unbuckled Sam's right arm. "I'm gonna get you out of these. Just hang on." He freed his brother's feet and moved up, finding it awkward to unbuckle the restraint around his left arm that sported a dark blue brace from elbow to hand. Sam was quieting as Dean freed him and he hoped that meant he was in there somewhere.

"Dean, where are you?" Sam asked softly.

"Right here. Open your eyes, bitch." Dean smiled and waited but he didn't. He pulled a stool over and sat next to the bed with a hand on Sam's head. "Dude, you remember when you were like ten. You had that flu that was going around. Dude you were a miserable little bitch for weeks." Dean smirked and watched Sam's face for any sign he was listening. He sighed. "You were on this freakin poetry kick at the time cause of some teacher. You remember that stupid poem you made me say for you over and over?" Dean rolled his eyes. "You ever tell anyone I did this and I will drop you in a ditch somewhere, Sammy." He took a breath and leaned in to say it softly.

" _When Sammy's too sick_  
I read him dumb ass poems  
Cause I'm so awesome."

Dean snorted a laugh. "Had some stupid name too didn't it, kiddo?"

"Haiku." Sam muttered suddenly, a small smile curling his lips. "S'called a…Haiku, Dean."

"Hey, Sammy!" Dean ruffled his hair with a huge grin. "How you feeling?" He actually felt some small measure of hope return because Sam recognized he was there.

"Head…hurts." Sam still had yet to open his eyes. It hadn't registered with him yet that it was dark because his eyes were closed. He was fine in the dark where the bad things in his head couldn't see him.

"I know, tiger. Doc says that'll get better soon." Dean leaned back in relief. "So you can stop loafing around that bed."

"I'm sorry." Sam said suddenly. "So sorry, Dean."

"What for?" Dean leaned in again, confused. "You got nothing to be sorry for."

"So sorry. Please don't leave." Sam was quickly becoming agitated. His head hurt, it swam, his stomach rolled and he couldn't shake the strange drugged feeling that had taken him over. "Please don't leave." He whispered in such a small voice it broke Dean's heart a little. "Please…won't happen again. I'm clean. I swear." Sam thrashed in the bed again. "Won't do it anymore please, Dean. Don't leave me."

"Ah god, Sam." Dean dropped his head and hated himself a little. He scrubbed a hand over his face and looked back up. Sam's concussed and drug flooded brain had taken him back a year or more before Lucifer and the Cage. "That's all past, Sammy. Years past. You gotta remember." He put a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder as he repeated his plea. "I'm sorry, buddy. This is all my fault. All of it." He meant that. In his mind it _was_ all his fault, everything from the moment the first seal had broken. Yet somehow it was his little brother who kept paying over and over again for his mistakes.

The door opened and Dean leaned back as a Nurse came in and smiled absently at him. "Just checking his vitals." She told Dean and did so while he watched. She took up Sam's chart and frowned, then looked at him, back to the chart and frowned again.

"What's wrong?" Dean demanded.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, probably nothing. I'll just check." She didn't give him the chance to say anything else. She hung the chart back on the end of the bed and left.

"Well something hinkey's going on." Dean went and grabbed the chart for himself but it was all greek to him. "Dammit." He looked at his brother and sighed. "Sam, I gotta go find out what's going on." He leaned over and squeezed his shoulder a moment. "I'm coming right back. I swear. I'm not leaving." Sam had quieted in the last few minutes and Dean hoped he understood. "I'll be right back."

Dean took the chart with him and stepped out into the hall. He wanted Doctor Geery. Him he would trust to give him a straight answer. He started off at a quick walk to find his way back down to the Emergency Room.

Down the hall behind him, a tall man with stringy black hair watched him emerge and leave and tugged against the Nurse leading him. He recognized Dean and for a moment flashed back to a gas station parking lot and the two men who had so humiliated him before the police had arrested him for speeding and thrown him in here. He reminded himself next time not to threaten to eat a police officer.

"Mr. Lind, stop dawdling." The Nurse pulled him back into motion. "We have to get you to your room."

He glared at her but let her pull him on while he fumed inwardly and wondered what the man was doing at the hospital in the psychiatric ward. He wanted to see what was in the room he'd left. He needed to see. Viktor Lind wanted revenge so he tamely followed the Nurse and waited. She led him further down the hall and into a room with a single bed.

"Up on the bed you go, Mr. Lind." The Nurse said and waved him to it.

"Yes, Ma'am." Viktor said softly and raised both his hands. He struck her hard, viciously at the base of her skull and caught her as she fell. She was dead weight in his arms. He tossed her onto the bed, straightened her out and strapped her down as she had been planning to do to him. He knew that; had seen the look in her eyes. He tossed a sheet over her and left there, not caring if she was alive or dead.

Viktor opened his door and peered out into the hall. No one had heard anything and he smiled as he went out and closed the door behind him. He walked surely down the hall, drawing no attention and stopped at the room he'd seen the man leave from; the man who had held a gun to his head. He opened the door and slipped inside and then grinned at his good fortune. The other, the one he had wanted, was lying in the bed and oblivious.

Sam looked asleep to him and he went to the foot of the bed and pushed gently at a foot. He made no sign that he felt it and Viktor smiled again. He set about quickly doing up the restraints that had been left undone. He scowled as he saw the heavy brace on his left arm and left it. He couldn't get the leather strap to fit properly around it.

"You hurt me." Viktor leaned over Sam's head and told him. "I don't like it when people hurt me. It's not nice." He glanced up at the door then and realized sooner or later the other man, his brother, would be back and he clearly remembered what he had told Viktor at the gas station. "We're gonna go somewhere more private." He looked for and found the brakes on the bed and kicked them off then gave it a shove toward the door.

Sam twitched in the bed and Viktor froze, waiting to see if he would wake. When he didn't he smiled again and stepped around the bed to open the door. In the hall there were only patients, no one to see what he was doing and care and he easily rolled Sam's bed out and then down the corridor past other patients and in search of a quiet place to have his revenge.

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"Doc." Dean dashed down an aisle in the ER irritated at how much time it had taken him to find the guy. Doctor Geery looked up at him in surprise and waved away the nurse with him.

"Dean. I'm still working on getting Sam out of there." Geery said sincerely.

"Need you to look at this." Dean handed him Sam's chart. "A nurse came in and looked at it and…something's off. I know it."

Doctor Geery took the chart and read it, following the list of instructions and treatments and drugs administered and his brows rose as he did. "Holy crap." Geery breathed and looked up at Dean in concern. "Whoever prescribed these is an idiot. Come on." He set off at a brisk pace with Dean at his side. "They've given him an anti-psychotic that reacts badly with the drugs I prescribed to treat the cerebral swelling."

"Reacts badly how?" Dean added another reason to beat hell out of the shrink that had locked up his brother.

"Among other things? It can cause temporary psychosis." Geery looked grimly over at him as they reached the elevator and got in.

"So that's why he was still tripping up there when he should have been getting better." Dean sighed, relieved.

"I'm going to fix this." Geery assured him. "Doctor Martin should have known better. I'll have Sam transferred down to me when we get up there. They won't be able to argue with me after this."

The elevator doors opened onto the Psych ward and both men hastened out and down the hall. Doctor Geery grabbed a Nurse on their way past and started rattling off medical jargon to her. Dean opened the door and stepped inside Sam's room and stopped dead, the Doctor bumping into him from behind.

"Dean? What is it?" Geery leaned around him and his eyes widened. "Where is my patient?" He turned and demanded of the Nurse.

"What? He's in here of…" She looked past Dean and her mouth opened in an 'O' of surprise.

"Obviously not. Get security." Geery ordered and watched as she ran off to the Nurse's station. "We'll find him."

Dean was choking on his guilt. He'd left Sam alone and now he'd lost him. He'd promised to be right back; that he wouldn't leave him. "I'm gonna find him."

"Dean, wait!" Geery called as Dean took off down the hall peering into each room as he passed. The nurse returned with a security guard. "You, go with him!" He pointed after Dean and the guard took off at a run to catch up. "We're going to check the other end of the ward."

Dean stormed down the hall, paying no attention to the guard who followed him as ducked his head into every room they passed. He opened one door and shook his head, moving away but stopped when the guard grabbed his arm.

"Hang on." The guard went into the room and pulled the sheet away from the head of what turned out to be a nurse, her hat askew on the pillow and face devoid of color. "Oh my god."

Dean laid his fingers along her neck and sighed. "She's gone." He looked at the guard's pale face. "Do you know who was in this room?"

"Huh? Uh, no." The guard took out his radio and hastily called in the dead nurse and room number.

"Stay here or come with me, I'm not waiting." Dean said and took off, now more determined than ever to find his brother before he ended up like the nurse. The Guard took only a moment to make his decision and came after Dean. "Could they be on another floor?"

"No." The Guard said surely. "The elevators are watched on this floor and beyond the safety doors you came through to get in there. No way anyone gets out of here without being seen and stopped."

Dean nodded and passed a storage room to the next patient's room. He stopped and looked back, his gut telling him he needed to check it. He went to the door and threw it open then launched himself across the space. The creepy asshole from the gas station straddled Sam on his bed with a pillow pressing down into his brother's face.

Dean hit him mid body and tackled him to the floor beyond, relishing the sound of the solid crack the man's head made with the floor. He raised his fist back to pound his face into nothing and shouted in anger when he was pulled off him.

"Don't kill him!" The guard yelled and wrestled Dean up and off the patient. "I'll take care of him. Your brother needs you." The look on the older brother's face had been eloquent; he was going to kill him.

Dean heaved in air and tried to let some of the rage go as he stared down at the pathetic piece of crap who'd tried twice now to take his brother. "I ever see him again…"

"You won't." The guard bent and slapped handcuffs on the man before hauling his sobbing burden to his feet. "I'll make sure of it." He dragged Viktor out of the storage room and Dean turned to the bed.

"Sammy?" He saw the guard had removed the pillow and silently thanked him for that. "Sam." He felt his brother's strong, steady pulse beneath his hand and let his head drop for a moment. "I'm so sorry, Sammy. I won't leave you again. I promise."

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Bobby parked his truck outside the Emergency Room for the second time that night and sighed. "This is getting to be a habit." He glanced over at Jody and smiled grimly. "I really should go find that jackass before he kills someone. Feds always drag their feet."

Jody chuckled and then laughed, shaking her head. "Can't believe you were ready to Rambo on his ass out there." Bobby blushed, making her laugh harder and she couldn't resist. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward to plant a kiss on him.

Bobby froze for a moment in shock and then growled happily. He cradled her head in his hands and felt her smile against his lips.

Jody leaned back finally and grinned. "Damn it's been a long time since I went parking, Bobby Singer."

Bobby snorted and reached up to brush remnants of exploded tree from her hair. "How about we go check on the boys."

Jody nodded and got out, following him into the hospital. "Sam's gotta be better by now." They strode into the waiting room and Bobby wrapped his knuckles on the Nurse's station to get their attention.

"Can I help you?" A pretty nurse smiled up at him.

"Sam Carmichael. What room is he in?" Bobby asked gruffly. "I'm his Uncle."

"One moment." She bent to the computer and then looked up with a smile. "He's on the third floor, Room 12 in the Psychiatric wing."

Bobby felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He turned and grabbed Jody, pulling her toward the elevators. "This is bad. We gotta get him outta there. They'll never understand."

"It'll be ok, Bobby." She put a soothing hand on his arm as they waited for the elevator. "We'll get him out."

"How the hell'd Dean even let this happen?" Bobby grumbled and jumped into the elevator as the doors opened.

"Doesn't matter." Jody said and ran through the many ways she could use her badge to get Sam out in her head.

The doors opened again and they went toward the ward door, ignoring the Nurse's questions to barge past. "Room Twelve." Bobby watched the room numbers going up and threw open the door. He stared for a second before Jody pushed him bodily into the room, closed the door behind him and then muffled a laugh in the back of his jacket.

Sam sat up on the bed half dressed. He had his jeans on and Dean was attempting to get his shirt on as well but Sam was making it difficult. He was giggling; Six foot four of giggling Winchester who ducked his head out of the way of the neck of the shirt every time Dean tried to slip it over.

"Dammit, Sammy stop screwin' around!" Dean growled at him. He cuffed the back of Sam's head lightly.

"Uh, what exactly is going on in here?" Bobby demanded and went to the bed. Sam looked up at him with over bright eyes and grinned.

"Hiya Bobby." Sam said happily. "Dean read me poetry."

"You son of a bitch." Dean rolled his eyes and tried to pretend he wasn't turning five shades of red as Jody gaped at him and then laughed.

"They had him on the wrong freakin' meds." Dean used Sam's shirt to swat him as he ducked the neck hole again. "They were making him worse. Doc said the new meds will fix him but he's gonna be a little high for a while."

"A little?" Jody chuckled and grabbed the shirt from Dean's hands. "Let me." She reached out and tweaked Sam's nose to get his attention. "Tell you what, Sam. You let me get this shirt on you like a good little Winchester and you can have ice cream later. Deal?"

Sam snorted a laugh. "I can't." He grinned. "I'm not little, not even close to little unless a little big counts. Does a little big count?" He looked down at himself. "Actually I guess I'm a lot big." He looked up at Dean who was rolling his eyes and shrugged. "Dude, I'm humped. No ice cream."

"Maybe we can get them to give him something to knock him out?" Bobby said as he tried not to laugh out loud. In spite of his size all he could see at the moment was a five year old Sammy driving his big brother crazy. "I'm gonna go find a wheel chair for chuckles."

Jody reached out while Sam was looking at his brother and yanked the shirt over his head. She wiped a few tears of laughter from her eyes and smiled up at Dean. "I know he's irritating you but it's nice to see him this way rather than…than the other."

Dean nodded and batted Sam's hand away as he poked at his stomach. "Yeah it's better and I'm storing all this up for blackmail later."

"So…poetry?" Jody smirked up at him.

Dean groaned. "Don't ask. Just, don't." He looked down at his little brother. "The things I do for you."

Bobby returned with a wheel chair and pushed it over to the bed. "Any reason there's a bunch of security guards down the hall?"

"Yeah." Dean's face went grim and angry and he told them what had happened. "So, cops are on the way and I'm getting him outta here before they get here."

Bobby helped Dean pull Sam up from the bed and lower his giggling self into the chair. "Why's he still alive?"

"Security guard pulled me off." Dean said in complete seriousness.

"That's my boy." Bobby said with a small smile.

"You boys get him to the elevator and out of here. I'll run interference." Jody pulled her badge out of her pocket and clipped it to her belt. She unconsciously straightened Sam's mop of hair as he passed in the chair and smiled at Dean. "It's gonna be fine. Just get him out of here."

They were lucky Sheriff Mills was on hand or they wouldn't have gotten Sam in the elevator. The guard had been right when he said no patient gets off the ward unescorted. Jody flashed her badge, threatened a couple nurses and a guard and in the end watched the doors shut on her boys with a smile. She turned back and headed through the doors and down the hall.

"Need to talk to the patient." Jody said as she neared the guarded door and flashed them her badge. The guards looked and nodded, assuming she was local and opened the door for her.

Jody walked into the room and saw Viktor Lind pacing in short steps by the window. He was cuffed at ankles and wrists, stringy black hair hanging down into his face as he muttered under his breath. "Hello, Viktor." Jody had gotten his name in the process of getting Sam out. He turned to glare at her as she neared. "I want to make sure you understand the consequences of what you did today."

"Leave me alone." Viktor glared at her.

Jody shook her head and struck out with a well-placed kick. He dropped to the floor like a stone, wheezing in air as he hunched around his crotch. She knelt by his head. "You had better hope I never see you again." She watched him roll and cower, all the while keening as he panted for air and sighed happily as she stood. She knew it was small and petty but the mother in her had needed to get a shot in for Sam. The guy saves the whole damn world and this is the kind of crap he has to put up with? Jody shook her head and pulled open the door.

"Thanks, boys." Jody pulled the door shut behind her. "He may have fallen a little." She told them and smiled with satisfaction when neither man made a move to check on the patient.

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"Up and at 'em, Sammy." Dean nudged his brother's shoulder in the front seat and smiled when clear eyes looked back at him.

"I'm awake." Sam raised his head off the seat and looked out to see their motel. "S'pose Analise makes Cinnamon buns at…" He looked at his watch. "One in the morning?"

Dean chuckled. "Think you're screwed til breakfast." He got out and rounded the car quickly to help him. The giggling high had worn off during the hour drive back from the hospital and Sam was Sam again if exhausted.

Bobby and Jody climbed out of the truck beside them and Jody jogged off toward the front of the building to get them rooms as well. "How's he doing?" Bobby asked and smiled as Sam stood up from the car.

"HE'S doing fine." Sam said and rolled his eyes. "I want my bed and a shower. Not necessarily in that order."

"Come on, sasquatch. I'll even let you shower first." Dean took his arm and turned him toward the stairs.

Sam chuckled. "Wow it must have been bad." He let Dean keep a hand on his arm as they went up the stairs and tried to not to bristle at Bobby following closely behind. He really didn't feel that bad but they seemed to think he was going to fall over at any moment. In truth, most of the night and the preceding day was a blur for him. His head was still splitting with headache but the pressure had gone and with it the hallucinations that were likely responsible for the haunted look on his brother's face.

They reached their room at the back of the Motel and Bobby left with a muttered 'night'. He was off to catch Jody and find their own rooms. Sam walked in and looked longingly at his bed. He was almost willing to skip the shower in favor of sleep but one sniff of the antiseptic, hospital smell still clinging to his skin changed his mind. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the bed and turned around to see Dean toss his to one of the chairs.

"Dean? What the hell is that?" Sam went over and grabbed his right arm above a sleeve saturated with blood.

"It's nothing." Dean pulled his arm away. "I'll take care of it. Go shower."

"Like hell." Sam gave him a shove toward the table. "Sit." Dean glared at him and Sam smiled. "I'm not doing anything until you let me look at that so your choice. We stand here and argue or you let me get a shower and some sleep."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Such a bitch." He stopped to look in the little refrigerator and pulled out a beer before sitting down.

"Jerk." Sam retorted and went to find the first aid kit. He took it and sat beside his brother, tugging the torn and bloodied sleeve up. There was a long gash along his forearm. It had long since stopped bleeding but was wide enough that Sam pulled out the suture kit along with the antiseptic.

"You think I'm gonna let the guy with scrambled brains stitch me up?" Dean asked and pulled his arm back.

"Oh stop whining." Sam held out a hand that was almost steady. "Now gimme your arm and stop whining you big baby."

"Gonna give you another concussion." Dean grumbled but let Sam take his arm back and pour antiseptic over the wound.

Sam started putting neat little sutures in, closing the wound with careful hands. "Dean…thanks." He said suddenly into the quiet. "For being there in the hospital and…in the woods although…" He chuckled. "I don't really remember much."

"Good." Dean replied. "Nothing worth remembering."

Sam gave him a look of disbelief but didn't push it. He finished up the stitches and wrapped a bandage around Dean's arm, tying it off with a pat. "Any other gaping wounds you forgot to get looked at while you were in the hospital?"

Dean shoved him toward the bathroom. "No. Go shower. You stink."

"You stink." Sam tossed back. He went to his duffel and pulled out a clean shirt and his sweats. He straightened and froze for a moment as Lucifer's singing sounded in the room; soft but growing in volume. He closed his eyes and squeezed at his left hand, though it was awkward with the brace.

"What's going on, Sam?" Dean asked at his elbow, startling him.

"Nothing." Sam said reflexively and started to the bathroom.

"Sam. Don't tell me nothing." Dean fixed him with a stern gaze. "What's that son of a bitch doing now?"

Sam sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Singing, ok? No big deal."

"What's he singing?" Dean sat on the edge of his bed and kicked off a boot, going for nonchalant.

"Carry on wayward son." Sam almost laughed but couldn't bring himself too.

Dean grinned as Sam headed into the bathroom and then started singing…badly off key.

_Once I rose above the noise and confusion  
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion_

Sam stared in shock and then laughed. He shook his head and understood what Dean was doing as he plowed on through the song. Sam couldn't hear Lucifer while he was singing. He joined in as he nudged the bathroom door partially closed and turned on the shower.

 _I was soaring ever higher_  
But I flew too high.  
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man  
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man  
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming… 

Dean's tone deaf, off key voice did what none of the drugs had been able too; it silenced the devil in his head and he stepped into the hot spray of the shower feeling better than he had in days.

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_To Be Continued...  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Prompts in this chapter: Viktor escapes, hunts the gang; Dean plays foot in mouth with Jody; Sam has Luci episode, things Dean's mad at him; Sam runs into Stanford friend; Buried alive time; Dean helps Sam breathe; More Dr. Geery; Sam bricked into a wall or under floor with Dean there but unknowing and looking meanwhile Luci's found Sam's ticklish spots; Jody earns some cash the old fashioned Hunter way; some hurt!Dean with Sam caring for him; Viktor kidnaps Sam again, has to deal with the gang, dies; Frank the asshole Hunter evades the Feds, comes after Bobby, Analise sends them back to Sinopa for fresh info, Dr. Geery and his daughter check up on Sam; some simple brotherly fun; the boys tease Bobby about Jody, she joins in, Sam's busted wrist causing him trouble; find some way to have a sword fight, Sam defending himself with his trusty arm brace; Dean trapped under a fallen tree/rock with broken legs.

_**CHAPTER 5** _

"Come on, Viktor. No cushy hospital bed for you." The Officer shoved the prisoner roughly ahead of him out of his room in the psych ward. "Judge is gonna love you."

Viktor Lind snarled softly at the man, pulling at the cuffs that caged his hands in front of him. Sam Winchester. He'd over heard the name from one of the Doctor's and he smiled a feral smile as he pictured the man's face and his brothers. He wanted revenge more now than he had before. He stumbled as the cop pushed him again.

"You killed a Nurse, asshole." The Officer smiled and planted his prisoner face first against the wall as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "Where you're going you'll never see the light of day again."

Viktor said nothing. He waited. There were too many people about; patients, visitors and Nurses who all gave him a wide berth. He had laughed when they'd told him he would be deported off the reservation to the County Jail for his crimes. It seemed as though they were working to allow him to escape and, in his fevered mind, he thought maybe they were. Maybe they understood what he needed to do. Viktor believed in a higher power. He believed that something, somewhere was watching over him and guiding his work; his secret work and oh how the police would react if they knew of the offerings he had stashed away in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere; his charnel house. He had meant to add Sam Winchester to his collection and perhaps he still would.

The elevator arrived and again he was shoved inside to thump against the back wall. The officer punched the button for the garage level and paid no more attention to him. Viktor watched the man and smiled, staring at the back of his head.

'He wants me too.' Viktor thought to himself with a grin as the cop stupidly had his back to him and hummed to himself. 'Of course he does.' He raised his arms and whipped his hands over the officer's head. Viktor drove his knee into the man's back and forced the metal of the handcuffs into his throat, against his windpipe and pulled with all his strength.

The officer could not even gasp a breath as the metal bit into his neck; his fingers scrabbling uselessly as the knee at his back drove him to his knees and stabbed pain through him. He gagged and heard nothing but the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears while Viktor's breath blew hot on his neck.

"Night night, officer." Viktor yanked his head up at an unnatural angle as the man's body went limp, sightless eyes staring up at him and grinned as the elevator doors dinged open. Viktor let him thump to the floor and hastily dug the keys for the handcuffs from the dead man's pockets. He freed himself and tucked the cuffs into his own pocket then relieved the officer of his gun. He looked down at him and tilted his head, thinking. "You know you're coming in awful damn handy. Come on, Officer." Viktor took hold of his legs and dragged him out of the elevator with him and toward the police cruiser a few yards away. "We're gonna go find us a Winchester. You'd like that. I know you would." He kept up a conversation with the body as he stripped it and donned the uniform before shoving the dead man into the trunk, thumping it closed with a chuckle. "It's gonna be a good day."

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Dean waited until Sam came out of the bathroom and nodded, pleased to see him look better. "You good for a few? I'm freakin starving."

"Where are you gonna find food at one thirty in the morning?" Sam tossed his towel into the corner and sat gratefully on his bed, cradling his newly fractured arm. The ache beneath the arm brace was almost strong enough to drown out the pounding in his head from the concussion.

"I'll figure something out." Dean smirked. He tossed Sam a bottle of pills. "For the pain. Nothing screwy."

Sam eyed the bottle and set it aside. "I'm good." The medication mishap at the hospital had put him through enough that he'd rather suffer with the pain than risk that again.

"Dude, just…" Dean sighed and shook his head. He understood, he just didn't like seeing Sam in obvious pain. "I'll be back."

Sam watched him go and then leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and allowed himself to feel all the aches and pains and the helplessness he'd felt strapped to that bed and alone.

"You are pretty damn helpless, Sammy."

Sam jerked his head up and stared at Dean. "I thought…I thought you left." He watched Dean grimace and stalk back into the room.

"Decided I wasn't hungry anymore. Not with you up here moping around." Dean sighed and dropped into a chair. "You ever notice all we seem to be doing lately is saving your ass? You gotta do better than this, Sam."

"What?" Sam straightened up and tried to swallow the hurt that was creeping up his throat at his brother's candid words. "Dean, I…I mean I'm trying man. You know that."

"Don't seem to be doing too good at that, do ya?" Dean shook his head. "Always taking care of you, picking up after you, having to pull your ass outta one bad situation after another." He looked angrily at his little brother. "Shit gets old, Sam. A nurse died because of you, do you get that? How can you live with yourself?"

"That wasn't my fault." Sam stood shakily, rubbing a hand against the pain in his skull. "I couldn't save her."

"You keep telling yourself that." Dean gave him a pitying look. "You got nothing left, Sam. You should think about stepping aside."

"Dean." Sam stared, unable to believe what he was hearing even as the self-doubt ate at him. He shook his head and pulled on his jacket. He didn't want to look at his brother just now.

"Where you going, Sammy?" Dean asked angrily. "Just gonna run away? Again? Well I guess you're good at that."

"I'm not." Sam stumbled to the door. "I'm just…I'll be back. I need some air." He opened the door and jumped to find Jody standing there with a hand raised to knock.

"Oh, Sam!" Jody smiled up at him. "I wanted to come check on you. How are you feeling now?"

"Uh…good. I'm good. Fine. Dean's just…" He waved an arm back at his brother. "He uh, needs some room."

"Dean?" Jody looked around him and scowled into the room. "Sam…Dean's not here. I saw him heading down the stairs just a minute ago."

"What?" Sam turned and looked back into the room and felt what little energy he had desert him as he saw it was empty but for a softly chuckling Lucifer in the corner who waved cheekily at him. "Dammit."

"Sam, you need to sit down." Jody took his arm and pushed him back into the room. She kicked the door shut and steered him toward the far bed. He went quietly without even an argument and made her more concerned. Having Bobby tell her about Sam's shaky mental state and actually seeing it in the woods that night were two very different things and she was still dealing with it. The utter confusion on his face just a moment ago had shaken her. "It's ok, Sam." She took his head in her hands as he sat and smiled. "You're not alone, ok?"

Sam closed his eyes. Somehow it didn't matter that the things Dean had said had not really been Dean. He still felt them like knives in his heart, counterpoint to the pain in his head and his arm. "I'm ok."

"No. You will be though." Jody said surely.

"You can't know that." Sam argued and would have shook his head if she weren't still holding it.

"Sure I can." Jody gave his head a little shake. "Dean and Bobby won't let it be any other way. I figure you know that."

"I don't…I don't know how to do this." Sam said finally, exhaustion letting him say something he wouldn't normally. "I'm a mess. I know it. How are they supposed to fight the Leviathan's and deal with Cas and they have to worry about me all the damn time?" He opened his eyes to look up angrily. "I can't even tell what's real. I let myself get drugged and taken off by Becky freakin Rosen. What good am I?"

"I'm only going to say this once, Sam so pay attention." Jody waited until he met her eyes. She didn't know him or Dean that well really but she knew Bobby Singer and he'd raised them so she knew how to turn aside the tide of self-loathing that was starting to eat at him. "Shut up, Sam."

Sam stared in surprise. He'd expected a lot of things but not that. He smirked and then gave a tired laugh and nodded. "Ok."

"Good boy." Jody ruffled his hair fondly and turned as the room door opened and Dean came back in.

"What the hell?" Dean took in the sight of Sheriff Mills cradling Sam's head and felt a surge of something over take him.

"Hey, Dean." Jody smiled at him and stepped away from Sam. "Just came to check on him."

"He's fine." Dean said and went to the table, setting down the bag he'd brought in. He liked Sheriff Mills, even trusted her…to a point but he didn't know her that well and after the events in the hospital he couldn't swallow the anger at once again not having been there when someone else came for his brother; even a friend. "You should go to bed or something."

Jody didn't miss the stiffened posture or the anger in his eyes and she didn't understand it. "Sorry, I think." She stepped away from Sam, dropping a hand on his shoulder first. "Are you ok?" She asked of Dean and frowned as his face darkened before he turned away.

"We're great. You can come back tomorrow and mother him some more." Dean said tersely and dug through the bag.

Jody stared at him for a moment and then rolled her eyes. "I get why you're being such an ass, Dean." She said and smiled when he turned to glare at her. "But you are being an ass." She went to the door and looked over at Sam. "Night, Sam. Night, Dean. Hope you can get your feet out of your mouth by morning." She said sweetly and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Dude." Sam shook his head at his brother. "You were way off."

Dean looked at the closed door and sighed. He grabbed the bag and went over to the bed and sat beside Sam. "Here." He handed Sam the bag and dropped his head. "Shit. I just screwed up big didn't I?"

Sam nodded and patted his shoulder. "She'll probably forgive you. Bobby though…"

"Dammit." Dean tapped the bag. "Food."

Sam opened the bag and inhaled the scent of cinnamon. "How the hell'd you get these?" He asked in surprise with a smile.

"Analise was still up." Dean shrugged. "I begged real pretty." He snagged one of the buns from the bag and looked at the closed door again. He hadn't meant to jump on Jody for taking care of Sam. He wasn't even sure why he'd over-reacted as badly as he had but he was sure he owed her an apology. "You alright?"

Sam shrugged and lay back with the cinnamon bun. "Yeah. I was…she just wanted to check on me." He didn't want to tell Dean he'd lost it again and he certainly wasn't going to tell him the things Lucifer had said wearing his brothers' face.

"Why you wearing your jacket?" Dean frowned at him and raised a brow when Sam, rather than answer, sat forward and fumbled it off with one arm.

"Got cold." Sam let it fall to the floor and filled his mouth with pastry, forestalling any more answers.

"Uh huh." Dean knew when Sam was being cagey and so, knowing his brother like he did, could work out roughly what had happened; He'd had another visit from Lucifer and Jody had talked him down. "Get some sleep already and take the damn pills."

Sam polished off the cinnamon roll and eased down into the bed studiously ignoring the pill bottle. He managed not to moan in relief as his head hit the pillow and some of the pain went away simply from not having to hold it up anymore.

Dean snorted softly, watching Sam settle himself and heard the little sigh that said he wouldn't be moving again for a while. He went and twitched the blankets up over him and turned off the bedside light. This time the sigh was a moan of pleasure as the room darkened except for the bathroom light. "Go to sleep, princess."

"Thanks, Dean." Sam said softly and willed sleep to take him while he listened to the comforting sound of his brother puttering around the room and turning the TV on low.

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Dean groaned awake and threw the blankets over his head. "Go away!" He shouted at the rhythmic thumping on the room door.

"Get yer lazy ass out of bed, Idjit!" Bobby's voice came through the door.

Dean ignored him and rolled into his pillow instead. He cussed as he heard the familiar sound of a lock being picked and a moment later the door opened letting sunlight poor into the darkened room. "Someone's gonna die." Dean growled into his pillow. "You should run."

"Aw are we breakin' into your beauty sleep, princess?" Bobby chuckled. He tugged the blankets off the bed and batted away the bad-tempered hand that tried to pull them back.

"He wakes up as grumpy as you, Singer." Jody smirked as she came in, arms full of bags and went to the table. "If it makes you feel any better, Dean, I've got bacon."

"Bacon?" Dean's head popped up from under his pillow.

"Magic word." Sam's tired voice came from the other bed. "He'll follow you around like a puppy if you hold out on him."

"Shut up, Sammy." Dean tossed a pillow at his brother as he rolled out of the bed. "Gimme the pig."

"Only if you ask nice." Jody held the bag out of reach and smiled at him.

"I'm uh…I'm sorry, Jody." Dean said softly and gave her his best version of Sam's puppy dog eyes. "Please can I have the bacon?"

"What the hell's he sorry for?" Bobby glared at Dean. "What'd you do this time?"

"Oh he didn't do anything." Jody handed Dean the bag and went to Bobby. "Stop being such a bear." She patted his chest, enjoying the blush that crept up from under his beard.

"Kinda looks like a bear." Sam muttered from the bed.

"A smelly, whiskey soaked bear." Dean chimed in.

"Flannel wearing bear." Sam smirked and pushed himself up in the bed cradling his arm.

"You think I won't beat ya cause your arms' broke?" Bobby growled at Sam and only succeeded in making him laugh.

Jody laughed as well and Dean waved a finger at her. "You're the one making kissy-faces with the whiskey bear. I wouldn't laugh too hard."

Sam snorted. "Eww. I really didn't wanna picture that."

"Yeah it's like watching your parents wrestle under a blanket." Dean shivered dramatically. "Disturbing."

A loud knock on the door stopped the levity and Bobby grinned. "You better kiss whoever that is, boys." He went to the door. "Just saved you two idjits from an early grave. What?" He said curtly as he opened the door.

"Uh…hello?" Doctor Geery studied the scruffy, irritated man in the door. "Analise said I'd find Sam and his brother here? I'm Doctor Geery."

"Doc?" Dean leaned around Bobby and smiled. "What are you doing here? Bobby stop scaring the guy and let him in. He's Sam's doctor, the good one."

"He is?" Sam swung a leg off the bed and watched the man enter. He had only vague memories of faces from his time in the hospital. The Doctor came in with a pretty young woman behind him.

"This is my daughter, Lya. She wanted to meet you." Dr. Geery smiled genially at Jody and went to Sam's bedside. "She's a paramedic as well. How are you feeling, Sam?"

"Hungry." Sam nodded toward the food. He wasn't too thrilled about being cornered in the motel by a doctor, however well meaning.

"Look, after what happened at the hospital I didn't think there was any way you'd come in for a checkup." Dr. Geery sat on the bed opposite him. "You really do need one so let's just pretend I know what I 'm doing and you're a cooperative patient."

Sam smirked and nodded, liking the man. "Ok. I'm sorry I don't remember you."

"I'm not surprised. Lya?" The doctor looked to his daughter.

"Here, Dad." Lya handed him a classic black physician's bag with a smile. "He's so old fashioned sometimes."

"How's your head feeling?" Geery held a penlight up and took hold of Sam's chin, flashing it in his eyes. "Headaches? Dizziness? Nausea?"

"It's fine." Sam shrugged.

"That's 'Sam-speak' for all of the above." Dean said from the table where he'd cuddled back up to his breakfast. "He always lies."

"You can shut up now." Sam said and then hissed in pain as the doctor picked up his braced arm.

"Well I don't have to ask if that hurts." The Doctor smirked. "I expect you to stay right here today." He gave Sam a severe look. "That was a nasty concussion, never mind everything else. You need rest; time to let your head heal or the symptoms will just take longer to clear."

"I can't help but feel this is all my fault somehow." Lya shook her head sadly. "The phantoms were hounding me until you came to town. I know, I know it's not my fault, Dad." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Better us than you." Dean said and stood up to put a hand on her shoulder and smile. "This is kinda our job." He enjoyed the warm smile she turned up to him beneath cool, blue eyes and thought he wouldn't mind spending a little more time in town once the job was done.

"Well like Dad said, I'm a paramedic so any patching up you guys need while you're here…" Lya smiled around the room. "You call me." She took out a card and handed it to Dean. "That's my personal cell."

"Can we only call if we need medical attention?" Dean asked with a happy leer.

"Boy, you don't got the sense god gave a gnat sometimes." Bobby slapped Dean up the back of his head. "Let the poor girl be."

"Ow!" Dean ducked away rubbing his head and glared at his brother who laughed.

Doctor Geery chuckled and patted Sam's shoulder as he stood. "Oh! Analise wanted us to tell you Sinopa wants to talk to you. Something about more information?"

"Info about what?" Dean looked over to Bobby. "You said the old Shaman's bones got blown up. No more phantoms."

"Well how the hell do I know?" Bobby shrugged. "That damn Frank Jr. went and blew the whole thing up. I'm just hopin' the bones went toasty."

"We should go back and talk to her." Sam pushed up from the bed and was as quickly pushed back down by Dr. Geery and Jody.

"What part of bed rest didn't you get, Sam?" Jody admonished with a roll of her eyes.

"Bobby and I'll go." Dean smirked at his brother. "Looks like Sheriff Mill's has got your number."

"I can do this." Sam said and shoved at the restraining hands, determined to not be useless.

"Hey." Dean saw the look on his face and frowned. "Dude, we know you can do this. Just not today. Enjoy the friggin vacation for once."

"Right." Sam sat back, defeated and resigned himself to being useless once again.

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"What do you think you're doing?" Jody asked as she came out of the bathroom and found Sam standing and awkwardly pulling his coat on over his arm brace.

"Going out." Sam smiled winningly at her. "Doc said take it easy. I'm taking it easy but I need to get out of this room for a while." He tossed her own coat to her. It had been almost two hours since Bobby and Dean had left and he was suffering cabin fever. "Just down to the restaurant or something."

Jody frowned but shrugged her coat and followed him. "You know anything happens to you Dean will bury me."

Sam chuckled. "He likes you. He'd make it fast."

"Comforting." Jody shook her head, smiling.

The diner was fairly empty at that hour of the day, after the breakfast rush and before the lunch. Sam made for the back of the room and slid onto a seat beside a dart board.

"Sam!" Analise came out of the kitchen and gave him a critical look. "Should you even be up?"

"I banged my head! I'm not an invalid." Sam said, disgusted and only became more so when both women laughed at him.

"Well you'll be needing food." Analise patted his shoulder. "I'll bring you something good."

Jody sat across from him and smiled. "You just have one of those faces, Sam. Us mother types worry."

Sam snorted. "I'm telling Dean you called him a mother-type."

"Another reason for him to hide my body." Jody laughed. She looked up at the dart board and then at him. "You ever hustle money with darts? I know Dean likes pool." She smirked. "Bobby gripes about him."

Sam chuckled. "That's cause he hasn't been able to beat Dean at pool since Dean was 14." He stood and turned, plucking the darts out of the board. "Come on. If you're gonna be a Hunter, you better learn to supplement your income the old fashioned way."

Jody laughed and took three of the darts from him. "Make an honest living, huh?"

"Honest for us, anyway." Sam shrugged. "You any good with darts?"

"Better than with a pool cue." Jody lined up with the board and the line on the floor. "How about you?"

Sam shrugged again and smiled. "I play darts once in a while. Want to make it interesting?"

"How interesting?" Jody raised a brow at him.

"Ten bucks?" Sam smiled. "I don't want to get cleaned out."

"Done." Jody turned and carefully threw her darts, all three ending close to the center.

"Nice." Sam patted her shoulder and went to get the darts. He went back to the line and turned. "Never done this with a concussion before."

"How about double or nothing?" Jody grinned up at him, feeling lucky.

Sam seemed to balk and then nodded. "Only cause you're a friend." He shook his head in amusement and turned back to the board. He raised his arm and, as Jody watched with her jaw on the floor, neatly tossed all three darts into the bull's-eye.

"I just got hustled. Didn't I?" Jody stared up at him and Sam raised his hands.

"You said you wanted to learn." Sam laughed. "Trick to a good hustle is to make the other person feel like they have the upper hand without outright lying."

Jody shook her head and sat down as Analise returned. "I'm gonna get you back for that one of these days Sam Winchester." She laughed. "Somehow."

"Here we go." Analise set a tray on the table. "Coffee, pancakes and toast." She smiled at Sam. "Should all be good for someone who recently had his head caved in."

"You've been talking to Dr. Geery." Sam smirked. "Thanks, Analise. She's paying." He nodded to Jody, making her laugh.

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"Sinopa?" Dean knocked on the old woman's door again and looked over at Bobby. They'd been waiting several minutes with no answer and the hair's on Dean's neck were telling him something was off.

Bobby shrugged. "Maybe she went to the store?"

"We're coming in." Dean called in case she was just asleep in her chair. He tried the door and scowled as it opened, unlocked. "I don't like this." He drew his desert eagle from his back and stepped inside, Bobby behind him. "Sinopa?"

Her house looked much as it had the day before only now tables were knocked over, knick-knacks scattered across the floor. Some of the paintings hung askew on the wall and Sinopa's favorite chair had three long claw marks through the fabric.

"Son of a bitch." Dean sighed.

"That Phantom's still alive." Bobby nodded and moved away from Dean to clear the rest of the house. A few minutes later they stood in her living room and looked sadly at the chaos.

"If that thing's still alive then we're still targets." Dean took his cell from his pocket and hastily dialed his brother.

"Dean, wait." Bobby saw a small black folded wallet sticking out from under the couch. He bent and picked up, flipping it open and growled. "Balls." Staring back up at him was a picture of Frank Kendall, Jr. Idiot hunter with a love of explosives, a fake Federal badge and name. "Bastard was supposed to be wrapped up by Homeland Security by now."

"That's the son of a bitch that almost blew you up?" Dean turned the badge to see the face and looked around at the room again. "Why would he kidnap Sinopa?"

"I dunno." Bobby shrugged and pocketed the fake badge. "But I'm sure as hell gonna find out. Come on."

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"Sam Winchester? Oh my god!"

Sam looked up from his pancakes over Jody's shoulder at his name and his jaw promptly dropped in surprise. "Will?" He stood and worked to find his voice again. "Uh…Jody this is…this is Will Seaborne. Friend of mine from…"

"Stanford! Holy shit, Sam! What are you doing up this far north?" Will Seaborne quickly folded Sam into a tight hug and then stood back gripping his shoulders. He was six foot three, muscular with a mop of shaggy blonde hair that Sam remembered Jess once tying into braids while he slept off a bender on their sofa.

"It's good to see you!" Sam smiled and felt happiness warring with sorrow as he looked at the grinning face. "Jody…"

"I'll, uh, head back up to the room." Jody smiled and patted Sam's shoulder. "Let you boys catch up. Nice to meet you."

"You too." Will gave her backside an appraising look as she walked away. "Dude, you still have good taste."

Sam chuckled. "She's not mine, Will. Geez. She's a friend."

"Uh huh." Will dropped into Jody's abandoned seat. "You know I've been trying to track you down for a few years now."

"I've been…traveling…with my brother." Sam smiled and sat as well. "How've you been?" Will had dropped out of Stanford three months before Dean had come for him with little explanation. "Where have you been?"

Will grimaced and sat back. "Well…I cracked up a little." He chuckled. "Checked myself into a treatment center. That's why I left." He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "I know I should have said something but I was kinda a mess at the time, man."

Sam nodded. "That I understand."

"I heard about Jess." Will smiled sadly. "Not hard to figure out why you left. I'm sorry I couldn't come to the funeral or anything but…man I was tripping all kinds of screwy shit. My reality meter was upside down for a while."

"Mine too." Sam said softly and absently rubbed at the scar on his left palm.

"Sam…you don't mind me saying, you look like hell." Will smirked at him. "I mean, you kinda look like I did. Are you ok?"

Sam thought about how to answer that question, frowning. "I'm…doing better." He shrugged. Will had always been a good friend, one of the few who never pushed him about his family and seemed to understand the only time Sam had mentioned his Mother. He'd just hugged Sam, as he was wont to do and told him to forget it. "Haven't exactly been in my right mind lately either. Uh…took a blow to the head a while back." It was the only reasonable explanation he could come up with but Will accepted it with a small smile.

"Aint halluciantions fun?" Will chuckled as Sam gave him a stiff nod. "Don't sweat it, man. You just gotta find someone you can trust to remind you what's what when you need it." He rolled his eyes. "My dad pretty much follows me around these days. Calls my cell three times a day." He smiled warmly. "Makes sure I remember what's real."

"Dean. My brother." Sam looked down with a laugh. "He's doing his best to keep me on the straight and…well the less crooked path anyway."

Will laughed. "Strangest thing running into you here like this, Sam. I was just stopping in for some coffee and then back on the road. What were the odds?"

"It's really good to see you again." Sam said and meant it. He jumped when his phone rang and dug it out of his pocket, seeing his brother's name on the display. "I have to take this. It's Dean."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Will stood. "I gotta get back on the road anyway. Look, you ever wanna just talk to someone who, you know, gets it you call me." He took a business card from his pocket and gave it to Sam. "Call me anyway, Sam." Will pulled him into another hug and left him with a laugh while Sam's phone kept ringing.

"Take care, Will." Sam smiled after him and answered his phone.

"Sam, what the hell?" Dean's irritated voice greeted him. "What took you so long?"

Sam snorted; his big brother caring in his own way. "Ran into an old friend. We were just saying goodbye. What's up?"

"Frank Jr. Looks like he bagged Sinopa before we got here." Sam could practically hear him scowling. "We're on our way back to you. Bobby says keep an eye on Jody. Frank might be holding a grudge since she's the one who sicced the Feds on him."

"Crap. I'm on it." Sam flipped his phone closed and beat a hasty line out of the diner and back toward their room. He jogged up the stairs with increasing anxiety, cursing himself for letting her leave. He burst into his and Dean's room to find it empty. "Dammit." He pulled the door shut and ran down the balcony to the room she was sharing with Bobby and burst in the door to find Sheriff Mills coming out of the bathroom.

"Uh, Sam?" Jody stared at him. "You might wanna knock next time."

"And you might want to lock the door next time." Sam heaved a relieved sigh and closed the door behind him. "Frank Kendall Jr. lost your Feds." He told her, nodding at the surprise on her face. "Looks like he kidnapped the Wise Woman we were talking to as well."

"Well balls." Jody kicked at the end of one of the beds. "How come you hunters have to be so damn slippery?"

Sam chuckled softly. "Occupational hazard." He locked the door and made a quick call letting Bobby and Dean know which room they were in. He put his phone away and sat down, sighing as he rested his left arm up on the table.

"You need some pain meds, Sam?" Jody headed for the door. "I'll go get them."

Sam grabbed her arm as she passed. "It can wait." He smiled. "What do you think Bobby will do to me if he finds out I let you walk out of here alone right now?"

Jody chuckled. "Probably about the same as Dean would do to me. Ok."

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"We don't even know where he'd take her." Sam lamented.

"Well it's gotta be something to do with the damn phantom." Bobby handed Sam a bottle of water as Dean came back in the room with his pain meds.

"Here, sasquatch." Dean shook two out and waited until Sam took them with a snort of laughter.

"Dude. I hurt. No arguments from me right now." Sam told him, smiling.

"Maybe he grabbed her to actually finish the job he messed up." Jody said with a shrug. "What other possible reason could he have for kidnapping her?"

Bobby's phone rang then. He pulled it out and scowled at the screen. "It's him." He flipped it open as the others fell silent. "Frank, you wanna tell me what the hell you think you're up to?"

"Hello? Who…who is this please?" A woman's voice answered him, making him start in surprise.

"It's a woman!" Bobby told them. "Who are you? Why do you have Frank's phone?"

"My name is Sinopa. This dreadful man he…he took me from my home." Sinopa's voice was watery, sounding as though she had been crying. "He says to tell you the Winchesters must come to his cabin or…or he's going to kill me. Please. I don't want to die."

"Ma'am, stay calm." Bobby could hear fear in her voice. "We're gonna come get you. You just tell me where you are."

Bobby hung up finally and rolled his eyes. "That asshole's got her stashed away at a cabin. Wants us to come, me and Jody and he'll let her go."

"Sam and I'll follow." Dean said quickly, Sam nodding beside him.

"She's wrapped up in this because of us." Sam took up his coat. "You and Jody go in and we'll back you up. He's probably not expecting us. Think he'll leave her alive?"

"Frank's an idiot and he's killed people before as collateral damage but he's never outright murdered someone." Bobby shrugged. "He might let her go."

Sam pulled out a map and spread it on the table. "Where are they?" He looked when Bobby pointed to a remote location on the map not that far from the Dam. "Okay, you two go in on the road and Dean and I can hike in behind the cabin here." He pointed and looked to Dean who nodded.

"Sounds like a plan." Dean checked his Desert Eagle was loaded and tucked it at his back grimly. "Let's go get this son of a bitch."

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The sun was setting as Dean gunned the Challenger down the forested road. He winced inwardly when he had to turn off, leaving Bobby's truck to travel on ahead of them alone.

"Should be about two miles down this road." Sam said from beside him as he folded away the map.

"I don't like this." Dean said, as he had before. "I don't like letting Bobby and the Sheriff go in alone."

Sam nodded. "Neither do I but Bobby can handle himself." He smiled. "So can Jody, you know."

"You're just soft on her cause she mothers you." Dean said, smirking.

Sam elbowed his arm and then winced as pain lanced down into his fractured wrist. "Ow."

"Good job, genius." Dean turned his attention back to the road. They'd left pavement behind and bumped along the dusty, dirt road. "Still think they should'a put a cast on that arm."

"It's just a fracture." Sam rolled his eyes. "The brace is enough besides this thing already weighs enough to throw me off. Cast would be even worse."

"Ok here we go." Dean watched the milometer and pulled off the road at the two mile mark, turning off the engine. They climbed out and went to the trunk, each pulling out weapons they had waiting; Shotguns for each of them, knives they secreted away and Sam tossed a bag over his shoulder with salt and lighter fluid because, as he'd said to Dean earlier, you never knew.

"That way." Sam pointed with his compass into the hastening dark of the trees. "Should take us about twenty…maybe twenty-five minutes to hike in."

"Bobby better not jump the damn gun." Dean growled and led the way into the forest. "He better damn wait for our call."

"It's Bobby." Sam reminded him.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Dean clicked on his flashlight and ducked under the low hanging branches. "He's not a patient man. Watch your feet." The ground was uneven and covered in fallen leaves making it look deceptively level. They jogged as quickly as they dared, needing to cover the two miles as quickly as possible.

Ten minutes later with Sam lagging behind his brother a wind blew up suddenly, whipping leaves up into the air like snow. "Dean?"

"Yeah, I feel it." Dean called back. He slowed and shouldered his shotgun. The wind became stronger and began to howl between the trees. "This isn't natural." He shouted.

"Dean, look out!" Sam yelled above the noise and watched in horror as the massive trunk of some unfortunate tree was hurled through the air directly at his brother. "Dean!"

Dean had no time to escape. He threw himself to the side and only succeeded in avoiding being hit in the head. The bole of the tree crashed into him and rolled onto his legs, pinning him. Sam's legs came into view, skidding to a stop in the leaf-litter beside him.

"Dean?" Sam bent to see his brother's face. He took Dean's jaw, turning his head to see his face and smiled in relief when he saw green eyes looking up at him. "Are you ok?"

"There's a damn tree sitting on top of me of course I'm not ok!" Dean ground out.

"Ok, just…stay calm." Sam ducked his head against the whipping wind and slid his hands under Dean's shoulders. "I'm gonna pull you out." Dean nodded and Sam gave a mighty tug. Dean cried out in agony and went limp. "Dean!" Sam laid his shoulders back and tapped his cheeks. "Dean? Come on, wake up."

"Crap." Dean groaned and his eyes fluttered open on a very worried little brother. "Let's…not do that…again."

"Legs?" Sam asked and Dean nodded.

"Broken. I think. God." He let his head thump back into the ground as the pain continued to assault him. "Bobby!" Dean grabbed Sam's arm. "You gotta get there, Sammy."

"I am NOT leaving you here, Dean." Sam glared at him. "Whatever did this…it's still here." Sam waved out at the wind still blowing unnaturally strong about them. "Don't ask me."

"Sam." Dean groaned and slapped his hands up onto the tree to try and make the pain stop.

"Just hang on." Sam squeezed his shoulder and stood to move around the tree, looking for any way to lever it off his brother's legs. It was massive and Sam shuddered to think at the condition of Dean's legs under the behemoth. He went back and knelt by him. "I'm gonna need help to move this thing, Dean. I'm calling Bobby."

"No way…Sinopa. Sam she's gonna…Frank's gonna kill her." Dean squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. "You have to go. Come back for me…after."

"Forget it." Sam shrugged the bag off his shoulder and pulled out the collapsible shovel he kept there for emergencies. "I'm gonna call Bobby and dig you out. I just need to clear room under your legs. Stay still." He pulled Dean's shotgun over and wrapped his brother's hands around the stock. "You watch my back." Dean's eyes were threatening to roll back in his head. Sam hoped protecting him while he worked would make him hold on. He needed him to hold on.

"Ok." Dean gasped and clasped the gun against his chest. He watched Sam stand and move around the tree as the wind screamed in at them. "What the hell is going on?" He asked of no one. "Sam?" He called after a few minutes, needing to see him. "Sam!"

Sam's head popped up over the tree to look at him. "Right here, Dean." Sam told him and smiled.

"Just…just checking." Dean startled as arms appeared, wrapping around his brother's neck and pulling him from sight. "SAM!" Dean screamed into the wind. He raised the shotgun with one arm and pushed against the immovable tree with the other, desperate to be free and help. "Sammy you answer me!"

"Dean!" Sam's panicked voice called out at the same moment a shot rang out.

"Sam!" Dean called and waited. "Sam!" He yelled again and there was no answer. Panic clawed at him with the pain. He dug into his pockets for his cell phone, fumbling it out and struggled to hold it as the wind tried to rip it away. He dialed Bobby and waited. "Pick up dammit!"

"Dean?" Bobby's voice on the other end of the line was hard to hear over the noise.

"Bobby!" Dean gasped, shouting to be heard. "We got jumped…I'm…Sam's gone or…I dunno!"

"Whoa, son calm down." Bobby could clearly hear the panic in his voice and it rattled him hard. Dean never sounded like that. "Now tell me what's going on? Where are you and what's happened to Sam?"

"Bobby…I don't know." Dean looked out into the night and despaired. "This wind came up…a tree fell on me. Sam was trying to dig me out and someone grabbed him! Bobby, I can't get out from under this damn tree and he's gone!"

"Balls. Hang on."

Dean heard him talking to Jody and used the time to vainly try and free himself from the tree. "Bobby!"

"Alright, son. We're gonna come to you." Bobby told him. "Dammit, Jody I know. She's worried about the old woman."

"Get her first." Dean said and closed his eyes. "Bobby, get her first."

"Dean…" Bobby trailed off.

"Look, I'm armed." Dean didn't mention his legs were broken. "I can handle this until you get here. Just…hurry."

"You hang on, Dean. You hear me?" Bobby told him firmly. "We're gonna be…"

"Bobby? Bobby!" Dean shouted as he heard a scuffle and then the line went dead. "Son of a bitch!"

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"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bacey." The sing-song voice pulled at Sam. He groaned and slipped his eyes open, rearing back as Lucifer's smiling face met him. "Morning, sunshine. Boy are you in trouble."

Sam tried to open his mouth and gagged on a wad of fabric wedged into his mouth and around his face, holding it tightly in place. He looked frantically around. He was lying on the cold wooden floor of some sort of old house or shack. The windows were boarded up, hooks hung from the walls with various small knives and Sam realized it was an old poacher's shack. Beside him a wide swath of the floor was torn up; boards lying in a pile across from him to reveal a shallow hole.

"About time you woke up." Viktor strode into the little room to stand over Sam.

Sam struggled against the ropes binding him. He was trussed up like a Christmas turkey, the ropes wound around his torso, arms, shoulders, knees and ankles. His fractured arm was pulled awkwardly in against his right wrist, the brace cutting into the skin.

"Don't know what you two were doing out there in the woods like that." Viktor grinned down at him. "Damn nice of your brother to just lay there while I took you though."

Sam growled around the gag, desperately wanting to know the condition of his brother and his broken legs; if he was still trapped beneath the tree. He'd never gotten the chance to call Bobby. At least Dean had his own phone, he consoled himself with that as Viktor bent over and checked his bonds.

"You know, Sam. I was gonna slit your throat." He whipped out a long blade, enjoying the widening of Sam's eyes as he grazed the blade along his throat making the barest of cuts. "Then I thought maybe I'd shoot you." He pulled out a gun in his other hand and scowled down at Sam. "Not very nice of you taking a shot at me, you know." Viktor turned so Sam could see the red ruin on his left side from the close range rock salt shell. "It stings…a lot. So…I thought I'd do something really constructive." He put the weapons away and gave Sam a mighty shove so he rolled over and thumped down into the open floor.

"I'm going to let time kill you, Sam." Viktor grinned at him as he writhed in the ropes. "You just get comfy."

Sam could only watch in horror as Viktor placed the first of the floor boards over the hole and began nailing it into place. It took less time than he thought to cover the hole over and Sam cried out, the sound muffled as the last sliver of light was cut off.

"I'm gonna have my dinner right here, Sam." Viktor's voice came down through the floor.

"I like this guy, Sammy." Lucifer's voice sounded in his ear and Sam flinched away from the presence he could suddenly feel at his side. "This is gonna be fun."

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"You hang on, Dean. You hear me?" Bobby told him firmly. "We're gonna be…" Bobby grunted in surprise as an arm shot through the driver's side window and wrapped around his neck. He dropped the phone and saw Jody's wide eyes as he was pulled backwards out of the cab of the truck.

"Bobby!" Jody drew her gun and threw herself out of the truck. She scrambled around the front and found Bobby being wrestled to the ground. "Let him go!" She warned and leveled her gun at his attacker's head. Frank Kendall Jr. turned manic eyes to her. "Back off!"

Bobby took the opportunity Jody gave him and swung his leg up to connect between the man's legs. Frank gave a high pitched scream and released Bobby to tear off into the woods.

"Bobby, are you ok?" Jody kept her gun trained on the tree line where the man had vanished from sight.

"Yeah, I'm fine just…" Bobby stood, dusting himself off and straightened his baseball cap with a disgusted look. "My pride's a little dented. Come on." Bobby gave her shoulder a squeeze as he passed her toward the cabin. "Watch out for tripwires. Never know what that crazy son of a bitch left behind."

"What about Dean?" Jody asked as she darted back to the truck and recovered Bobby's cell phone for him.

"He wanted us to make sure the old lady was safe first." Bobby nodded. He pulled out his flashlight and shined around the little porch at the front of the cabin. When he was satisfied there were no wires waiting for them he moved to the door. "Check that window."

Jody went to the little window beside the door and glanced in. "She's alive." Sinopa was inside tied to a chair looking a little the worse for wear but alive.

Bobby checked the door carefully and again found nothing to raise a warning flag. "Well, we get blown up I apologize now."

Jody smirked at him. "I get blown up I will haunt your ass, Bobby Singer."

"Promises, promises." Bobby grinned and took hold of the knob. He opened the door carefully and opened with a relieved sigh when nothing exploded at him. He went quickly inside with Jody watching his back and knelt in front of the chair. "Hey, we're friends of Sam and Dean. Are you ok?"

Sinopa nodded as Bobby reached up to remove the gag. "Who was that awful man?"

"One really bad egg." Bobby untied her and helped her stand.

"Are you alright?" Jody came in and smiled at her.

"Oh I'm fine, girl." Sinopa straightened her dress. "Take more than that to do in the likes of me."

"Jody, you get her outta here in the truck. I'm gonna go after the boys." Bobby took out his gun and headed for the door.

"You know, I was expecting those handsome boys." Sinopa said and smiled sweetly at them. "Can't imagine why they didn't make it past the little phantom I threw at them."

Bobby stopped dead and turned slowly, raising his gun in surprise. "You wanna repeat that?" Jody backed up to stand beside him as the old woman began to chuckle.

"I was having quite a bit of fun sending them after some old bones by the dam." Sinopa clapped her hands lightly. "So intent on killing their phantoms they never even looked at me."

"I'm lookin' now." Bobby took Jody's arm and pushed her behind him toward the door. "You're working with Frank?"

"That idiot?" Sinopa snorted in disgust. "Sorry to say he's fertilizing my garden already. He was very rude when he came to me today." She grinned slowly. "He's not as strong as those boys are, gave right in to my phantoms. Very sad."

"Balls." Bobby took a step back, pushing Jody with him. "So out there…"

"Me." Sinopa shrugged. "And the boys had a spot of trouble in the woods as well…rather like you're about to."

"Don't think so." Bobby raised his gun and fired. The bullet struck the old woman in the shoulder and, as he watched, passed through her to splinter into the wall behind her. She laughed and vanished in a swirl of shadows. "This…is not good."

"Ya think?" Jody looked out the open door. "We've gotta find Sam and Dean. Now."

"Before the wicked witch starts in on us again. We gotta hurry." He took the cell phone Jody handed him and quickly dialed Dean's phone. "Come on, boy. Pick up."

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Dean growled in frustration and pain. "Son of a bitch!" He raised a fist to strike the tree and gasped in shock when his hand met nothing. "What?" He looked up to find the tree gone. The wind died away suddenly returning the night to silence and the pain in his legs bled away. He moved them cautiously and gasped in relief when nothing hurt.

"Phantoms!" Dean shouted and stumbled to his feet in a rush. "Sam!" He called his brother's name. "Sammy!" He bent and ran his hands over his legs, still surprised to find them whole and then stopped, staring at the ground. The leaves had been disturbed in some sort of scuffle and Sam's shotgun lay in the center of it. A wide trail led off into the woods where something had been dragged and he knew it was his little brother's body that had made the trail.

He scooped up Sam's shotgun and took off at a run, following the trail. Whoever or whatever had taken Sam wasn't too worried about being followed. He scanned the trees, alert for a return of the phantoms and thankful for two working legs. He sprinted through the darkened woods, stumbling and righting himself as he ran. After only ten minutes he saw the flicker of light through the trees and out on a burst of speed. He had a feeling Sam's clock was ticking.

A run down little shack came into view, light peeking out from boarded up windows. He threw caution to the wind and ran up to the shack. He kicked in the door and lead with Sam's shotgun. "Where is he you son of a bitch!"

Viktor sat at a little table in the middle of the shack with a TV dinner in front of him and smiled at Dean. "Took you long enough."

"Where is he?" Dean took a threatening step forward and stopped a few feet away.

"Around." Viktor smiled. "You want a last meal? You can share mine." He pointed to the little dinner. "There's a brownie even."

"Look you sick son of a bitch all I want from you is my brother." Dean jacked a rock salt round into the gun. "This won't kill you but it'll hurt like a bitch now where is he?"

"I'm familiar with that." Viktor turned slightly so Dean could see the blood spattering his left side. "Sam's paying right now for doing this to me."

"You're gonna pay a lot worse you don't stop screwing around with me." Dean growled.

"That gun won't kill me." Viktor nodded at him. "This one will kill you." He raised his right hand from under the table and leveled the police service revolver at Dean. "Now, I'd sit and have a bite to eat if I were you. I hate eating alone and Sam's not going anywhere."

Sam wriggled against his bonds in vain as he listened to the conversation taking place over his head. His hopes had soared when he'd heard Dean's voice but as the conversation progressed he realized that Dean had no idea where he was. He was just beneath his feet but thanks to Viktor's rope job he could barely move, let alone make a sound. The ropes around his chest were constricting him, making breathing hard and the rag stuffed in his mouth wasn't helping. He fought to make a noise, anything loud enough for Dean to hear. All the while Lucifer lay beside him, giggling gleefully.

"Oh, Sammy you know how I love it when you struggle!" Lucifer reached out and dug his fingers into Sam's hip. Sam squired away from the touch as it made him gasp in a mouthful of rag and then another when the Devil's fingers dug under his armpit. Lucifer was quickly tickling him toward passing out from lack of oxygen.

Dean stared down at the gun in Viktor's hand and longed to strangle him. Worse was the growing fear that he was already too late for Sam. The shack only had the one room and was bare but for the table and chair. "Last chance. Where. Is. Sam?"

"You're no fun, you know that?" Viktor sighed. He made a point of aiming the gun and pulling the hammer back.

Dean fired the shotgun and knocked him over backwards in the chair. "Quick tip, asshole. Don't be dramatic. Just pull the damn trigger." Dean stalked around the table and kicked the gun away from Viktor's hand as he writhed on the floor. He knelt down over Viktor and wrapped a hand around the man's throat. "You tell me where my brother is now."

Sam heard the shot and panicked. He couldn't call out, could barely even breathe so he focused all his energy on raising his legs enough to thump the floor above.

"Last chance." Dean growled in Viktor's face. The man's face purpling beneath Dean's grip and still he glared defiantly up at him. Dean tightened his grip and then frowned as he heard a faint thump from beneath them. He listened and the thump came again, weaker. "Son of a bitch." Dean drew his fist back and planted it squarely in Viktor's face, knocking the man senseless. He rolled him away and then bent over, putting his ear to the floor. "Sam?" There was another faint thump and Dean stood in a rush. "Hang on, Sam."

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"He's not answering. Dammit!" Bobby tried Dean's cell again with the same result.

"GPS." Jody told him. "Track his phone."

Bobby nodded and hastily pulled up the program on his phone, waiting for the satellite to find the position. "That way!" Bobby pointed and he and Jody took off at a run into the trees following the little orange bubble on the screen of Bobby's phone. They covered the mile to the location quickly. Bobby was wheezing for breath by the time they stumbled into the clearing.

"It's here somewhere. Dean?" Bobby called and walked forward.

"Call his phone now." Jody shined her flashlight around the area as Bobby dialed the number. A moment later the strains of one of Dean's favorite rock songs sounded and Bobby sprinted across the clearing, dropping to his knees in the leaves and dug out the phone. "Dammit. Maybe Sam's." Bobby dialed the number and punched the ground in anger when it rang only feet away. "Where the hell are those idjits?"

"There's a trail here, Bobby." Jody pointed into the woods.

"Let's go. This can't be good." He stood, ignoring the stitch still burning in his side and loped into a run again with Jody at his side.

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"Hang on, buddy." Dean pried up the second floor board, wincing at the first sight of his brother bound and gagged beneath them. The son of a bitch had been eating his dinner on top of Sam. He tossed the board away and tore the next up before reaching into the hole. "I've gotcha." He lifted Sam's head and shoulders up and dragged him out onto the floor, laying him carefully down. Dean removed the gag first as Sam's color was disturbingly gray. He tugged out the wad of rag from his mouth and Sam began gasping for much needed air.

"Thank you." Sam said breathlessly. "Get me…out of this."

"You ok?" Dean rested a hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm some of the panic he still saw in Sam's eyes; no way being buried alive had done anything good for the kid but Sam nodded.

"Am now. Just get me loose. Please." Sam was loathe to spend one more moment in the shack and could still hear Lucifer chuckling down in the hole.

"Ok, hang on." Dean pulled out his knife and carefully cut the ropes around Sam's chest. He shouted at a sudden, stabbing pain in his calf and rolled away. Viktor was on the floor behind him and held up his long knife, dripping in Dean's blood with a smile.

"Shouldn't have turned your back on me." Viktor told him and wiped at the blood still flowing from his nose. "I'm gonna make you pay now."

Sam threw the ropes from him in a rush as Viktor stalked past him for his brother. Dean pushed himself along the floor, trying to ignore the pain in the back of his leg and the blood trail he was leaving on the floor. Sam fumbled at the knots of the ropes around his legs, desperate to be free to help his brother before it was too late.

"Should have killed you." Dean glared up at the man. "Don't worry. I won't make that mistake again."

"Awful cocky for a guy bleeding on the floor." Viktor swung at Dean as he rose to his knees.

Sam kicked his legs free and shakily to his feet. "Viktor!" Sam shouted and ran at the man as he turned. Viktor brought the knife down in a vicious swing. Sam raised his left arm and deflected it off the metal struts in his arm brace. He sent a kick to Viktor's mid-section and smiled in satisfaction as he doubled over but it didn't take the man long to recover. Viktor dove headfirst at Sam, leading with the knife. Sam managed to block it with his brace again and ended with Viktor's head driving into his stomach. He grunted with the impact as they were both tossed to the floor.

Viktor rose up over the gasping man and raised the knife again. "I'm gonna…enjoy watching you die." As he started to bring the knife down a loud shot sounded in the small confines of the cabin.

Sam watched blood blossom on Viktor's chest, bubble out from his mouth and he fell sideways off of Sam with a surprised look on his face.

"Sammy?" Dean was suddenly there beside him, lifting him up.

"I'm ok." Sam looked over at the dead man and couldn't find any guilt over his death, only relief. "What about you?"

"It's not bad." Dean didn't argue much as Sam drew his leg forward to see.

"Doesn't look like he hit an artery." Sam clamped his hand around Dean's calf and pressed. "Just a flesh wound."

"A freakin painful one." Dean groaned as Sam's hand increased the pressure. "How's the arm?" He tugged over Sam's left arm and hissed at the mangled state of the brace and the angry, red skin beneath it. Sam paled as he moved the arm.

"Don't…move my arm. Please." Sam gasped and increased the pressure on Dean's leg as he fought to stay conscious. The pain was impressive.

"Breathe, Sammy." Dean told him and took his own advice. He allowed himself a moment to just feel relief that Sam was still there to scowl over him. He'd been sure he would be too late. He looked up at the sound of wind outside, frowning as it became stronger and rattled the door in its frame. "Oh crap."

"How are your legs not broken anymore?" Sam asked suddenly as the pain threatened to take him under. "Phantom? We imagined it all?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded and stretched to pick up Sam's shotgun again from the floor. "And I think it's back for more." He raised the gun toward the door as the wind became stronger and something large thumped against the outside of the door.

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_To Be Continued...  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_**CHAPTER 6** _

The pounding grew louder, the door rattling in its frame as the wind outside increased in ferocity. It howled around the little shack. Dean looked down at his brother huddled over his arm and back at the door.

"Come on, Sam. Gotta get you up." Dean planted the barrel of the shotgun on the floor and used it to push himself up. He reached down and grasped the hand Sam held up to him and pulled. "Whoa, don't fall down." Dean grunted as Sam swayed and he worked to keep him upright. "You'll take me with you."

Sam nodded and planted his feet, taking more of his own weight. "I'm ok."

"Doesn't look like there's any salt in this shack." Dean raised the gun to the door again. "Can't keep the phantoms out."

Sam glared at the rattling door as it shook as though from some violent impact. "Tired of these damn phantoms." He could feel the edges of madness creeping about the periphery of his thoughts. He'd been there before and knew what it felt like. First phantoms and then Viktor and more phantoms and now again…he shook his head and felt rage overtake him. "I've had enough of this."

"Sammy?" Dean watched him take a step toward the door and then it burst inward. "Son of a bitch! Sam, get back!" A Werewolf stood in the door, chest heaving from the effort it had taken to beat it in. Its golden eyes glared in at them, malice dripping from the fangs it bared in feral growl.

"I have had it with these damn phantoms!" Sam bent and darted his hand into Dean's right boot. He came out with the silver knife he knew Dean kept there. "This isn't real and I've had enough!" He charged straight at the Werewolf before Dean could react. Like Dean, the wolf seemed shocked by the move and froze as Sam barreled into it. He drove the silver blade into the beast's chest and up into its heart with a rage-filled cry.

"Sam!" Dean sprang forward and raised the shotgun. He knew the salt rounds wouldn't kill the creature but it might blind it long enough to save his brother. He couldn't imagine what had possessed Sam to charge the thing. He aimed at the Wolf's face and just as he squeezed the trigger, it collapsed. "Holy crap." He skidded to a stop next to his panting brother and stared in surprise as the Werewolf died. He took a death grip on Sam's right arm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What? It's not real." Sam shrugged as he turned to look at him.

Dean tightened his grip on Sam's arm. "Sam. Look." He turned his brother and pointed.

Sam looked down at the floor to where he knew there would be nothing and then staggered back. There was a very real, very dead Werewolf lying on the floor in the door with a silver dagger protruding from its chest. He started to shake and stumbled into Dean. "What? But…it was a…a phantom. Oh god." The reality of what he'd done slammed into him. He'd let the madness rule his head and could have died; could have left Dean alone to deal with the aftermath, the wolf, the phantoms, the leviathans. He felt himself start to shake apart in reaction.

"Sam." Dean gave him a shake, not liking the growing vacant look on Sam's face. "Sam!" He yelled his name. "Dude, don't make me slap you." He pulled Sam back from the door. The Wolf may be dead but the phantom wind was still howling outside. He stumbled on his bad leg and only his grip on Sam's arm kept him standing. "Come on, dammit. Sam!"

Dean's voice finally broke through the panic consuming him, that and the vice like grip above his right elbow dragged Sam back. "Dean." He instinctively reached out with his left hand to steady Dean. The pain from his left arm and the mangled brace shot straight to his head and took him to his knees in a fog. "Crap."

Dean went down with him, unable to support both their weight. "Dammit, Sammy. You ever do anything like that again." He waited until Sam turned glazed blue-green eyes to him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"You were so disappointed in me." Sam mumbled and looked away.

"What? When?" Dean was certain Sam hadn't come back completely from wherever he'd gone when he rushed the Werewolf.

"At the motel only…wait. No." Sam shook his head and cradled his aching arm. "Jody said that wasn't…wasn't you. Dammit." He closed his eyes. "God, I'm losing it."

"It's ok, Sam." Dean sighed and made a mental note to tell Jody not to keep things from him; things like Sam hallucinating bad crap about him for example. He took Sam's good shoulder and squeezed. "Dealing with this friggin phantoms man…half the time I can't tell what's real. You're not cracking up. You hear me, Sammy? You are not cracking up." He gave Sam a gentle shake. "Now pull it together. You gotta get me outta here." Inwardly he seethed that Lucifer had taunted his brother with his face again, had made him feel so worthless he'd charged a Werewolf like a madman.

"Sorry. I'm ok." Sam got shakily to his feet and reached his right hand down to Dean. "Come on." He pulled Dean up and held on to him while he steadied himself on his wounded leg. He gave a quick glance to the door and the dead beast and shuddered. He wasn't going to let that happen again, he promised himself. "How's your leg?"

"It'll keep." Dean caught his eyes, giving him a searching look and nodded. "That's better." He shook his head. "Took ten years off my life, Sammy when you charged that thing." He smirked. "No more Don Quixote moments."

Sam startled a laugh. "You only read that cause you thought there'd be dragons."

"Bite me, Sammy." Dean shot back.

"Dean! Sam!" Bobby ran through the open door and stumbled to a stop over the dead Werewolf. "Balls! What the hell have you two been up to in here?" He looked up to the brothers and scowled as he took in their battered and bloody appearance. "You boys look like hammered crap."

"Gee thanks, Bobby." Dean walked stiffly to him, Sam hovering at his elbow. "That psycho from the hospital won't be bothering us anymore." He waved an arm toward Viktor's body.

"Did a number on you boys." Bobby took Dean's arm when his leg faltered. "You ok?"

"Asshole stuck me in the leg." Dean grimaced. "Not before he buried Sam under the damn floor."

"Good grief." Jody came in and stepped around the beast's corpse to take Sam's good arm. "Aw, Sam what'd you do to this?" Her hand hovered over his left arm, afraid to touch it for fear of causing him pain. "Hang on." She went to Viktor's body and knelt. She pulled a knife from her boot and started cutting strips from his shirt.

"Wonder why she-bitch aint comin' in after us yet." Bobby looked out the door to where the wind was whipping leaves and small tree limbs around.

"She-bitch?" Dean asked confused.

"It's that old woman of yours controlling the phantoms." Bobby nodded at the surprised look on Dean's face. "Was her all along. She was playin' us."

"Sinopa. Awesome." Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna enjoy ganking her."

"Ok, Sam." Jody came back and smiled. "I'm gonna put a sling around that arm. It's gonna hurt."

Sam nodded miserably but gave her a small smile. "I know." He felt Dean slide an arm behind his back as Bobby took his right arm. "Do it." Jody tossed the makeshift sling over his head and pulled it down to adjust it before taking hold of his left arm around the mangled brace. The pain was instant and shot through his entire body as she gingerly moved his arm.

"I'm sorry, Sam. Almost done." Jody bit her lip maneuvering the twisted brace in against his chest to slip the sling around it.

"Hang on, Sammy." Dean grunted as Sam's weight suddenly settled in to him.

Bobby hauled up on his shoulder, keeping Sam standing. "Come on, son. Stay with us." He wished they could spare the kid the suffering. He could feel Sam's erratic, speeding pulse under his hand on his arm and tightened his grip to remind him they were there.

Sam groaned and realized his legs had collapsed under him. His brother and Bobby were the only things holding him up and Jody was peering worriedly at his face. The agonizing fire in his arm had receded a little and he could feel it strapped securely to his chest now. "That…sucked."

Dean sighed in relief and smiled at Bobby. "You with us, tiger?"

"Yeah." Sam got his legs under him, grateful for the hands holding him.

"We need to get the hell outta Dodge." Bobby nodded to the still blowing windstorm outside. "She's gonna toss something at us we keep sitting here."

"We'll go for our car first." Dean said surely. "It's closer and no way you two are walking back through those woods alone. Trust me." He scowled at the visceral memory of having both his legs broken. "We'll drive you back around to the cabin and your truck."

"Ok." Bobby let go of Sam, hovering for a moment to make sure he stayed standing. "You alright, son?"

"Yeah. Thanks Bobby." Sam smiled gratefully as Bobby patted his shoulder.

Dean kept his hold on Sam's arm not just to steady him but himself as well. He wouldn't admit out loud how badly his leg hurt but he was looking forward to lying flat somewhere for a week and not moving. "Go on. I got him." Dean waved them ahead.

"Can we just shoot her and get the hell out of this town?" Sam asked with a lopsided smile. They hobbled drunkenly toward the door and went around the Werewolf's body.

Dean snorted. "Yeah I'm done with this job too. Maybe a nice easy Ghoul hunt next time."

Sam chuckled and then gasped as the door in front of them slammed closed after Bobby and Jody stepped through it. "What the hell?"

"Aw come on!" Dean shouted. He could hear Bobby and Jody calling from outside and saw the door rattle as Bobby no doubt threw himself into it but it didn't budge. The winds that before had been outside now blew up inside the little cabin. Dean shouted as he was picked up with Sam beside him and thrown backwards. He felt his head connect with something hard and blackness overtook him.

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"Dean?" Sam groaned and rolled his head. He frowned when something brushed his leg and cracked his eyes open. He was lying in a cramped aisle of seats; above him, to his intense displeasure, a clown looked down at him with a maniacal grin. "No. No, come on. Please. Dean!" He struggled to get himself up with one arm, the other still taped uselessly to his chest. He realized the soft thing cushioning his head was Dean's ankle. "Dean!"

Dean opened bleary eyes and raised a shaking hand to his throbbing head. "Wha' the hell?"

"Clowns. Dean there are clowns." Sam couldn't help the distressed tone in his voice.

"Huh?" Dean pulled himself up and widened his eyes in shock. They were on a plane and…all of the seats seemed to be occupied by clowns. "You have got to be kidding me. Oh you bitch!" He shouted. "Sam." He reached for him.

"Tell me you see them." Sam said desperately. "Please tell me this isn't in my head."

"I see 'em, Sammy." Dean grabbed his shoulder. "I see the freakin plane too. Crap." The plane tilted suddenly, sliding them down the aisle and making Dean's stomach drop away. "Oh crap."

"Phantoms." Sam said and nodded. "Not real clowns. Not a real plane. They can't really hurt us."

"That bitch Sinopa is screwing with our heads again." Dean growled and planted his feet between two of the seats to stop their slide. "It's not real, Sam. Just like my broken legs. Not. Real."

"Ok." Sam nodded. He shouted in surprise when white gloved hands wrapped around his shoulders and dragged him away from Dean.

"Let him go!" Dean launched himself up from the floor of the cabin, reaching for Sam as he was pulled away. "Dammit!" The plane tilted again throwing him to his left away from his brother and into clown filled seats who chortled happily as he fell into them. The familiar panic at being in the air assailed Dean. He latched on to the seats in fear as the plane rolled one way and then another. He could see Sam being thrown about by the clowns as though he were a plaything. "Son of a bitch!" Dean planted his elbow in the gut of the clown beneath him and climbed back into the aisle, delivering a kick to the one across from him as the plane rolled again.

Sam knew what Dean had told him; this was the phantoms. It was Sinopa, not his hell madness again but as the clowns leered and jeered, laughed and pummeled he felt his mind beginning to lose its grip. As if punctuating that fact, Lucifer came down the rolling aisle with a serving cart in a stewardess's uniform whistling a jaunty tune.

"My, my Sammy you do play with the most interesting psychopaths these days!" Lucifer chuckled and tossed a bag of peanuts at him. "Mind your head!"

Sam grunted as he was thrown up into the low ceiling and swallowed a cry as his left arm was jostled in its sling. He came down in the same aisle as Dean and for a moment he let the anger take him. Sam kicked a foot into the face of the clown coming for him and grinned as teeth and blood spattered the seats. He elbowed the one behind him and then threw himself down the aisle toward his brother.

"Dean!" Sam shouted and grabbed Dean's arm as the plane dipped again. He dragged him to the floor and wedged them between the seats.

"No place like home, Sammy." Dean shouted and closed his eyes tight as the plane took a sudden nosedive. They held on to each other ignoring the hands clawing at them and the quickly falling plane. He wrapped a hand around the back of Sam's neck and squeezed, trying to offer him some small amount of comfort amidst the madness.

"What the hell are you idjits doing on the floor?" Bobby's voice startled both their heads up.

"Son of a bitch." Dean groaned and traded confused looks with Sam. The plane and the clowns were gone. They were once more in the cabin, sitting on the floor huddled together near the body of the Werewolf. "I really…really hate that bitch."

"That's it." Bobby strode over to them. "No more splitting up. Jody!"

"Yeah…oh no. She did it again?" Jody hopped over the creature's body and pulled Sam up from the floor as Bobby got Dean standing. "Are you ok?" She asked them.

Sam pushed away from Jody and grabbed Dean. "Dean, no. This isn't real. It's not real. You're right." He glared at the visions of Bobby and Jody, not willing to give into the phantoms again. "Don't talk to them. It's her. It's Sinopa and those damn phantoms again." He pulled Dean back, stepping in front of his brother protectively.

"Sam. Son, it's us." Bobby held his hands out in placation. "It's really us, kid. Come on."

Sam lunged for the shotgun on the floor and leveled it at them. "Stay back. You're not real." He jacked a shell into the chamber.

Dean looked frantically around for something. Sam's hell-addled brain was cracking under the constant deluge of hallucinations. He spotted the discarded chloroform soaked rag Viktor had used to capture Sam. "Sammy, you watch them." Dean told him calmly. He nodded quickly at the surprised look on Bobby's face, trying to tell him he had a plan. "You just watch them." Sam nodded and Dean limped away to pick up the rag. He came back to his little brother, arms shaking as they held the shotgun and put one hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, Sammy." Dean said softly. He hated himself a little for what he was about to do but Sam needed his help and sometimes that meant knocking him down. He whipped his right arm out and clamped the rag over Sam's nose and mouth while wrapping his left arm around Sam's chest, pulling the shotgun down as well. Sam went wild, struggling, shouting beneath the rag but Dean held on. "Breathe, Sam. Just breathe. It's ok, I promise." He hated himself, more than a little as Sam whimpered and finally went limp by degrees in his arms. "Bobby." He called as his leg gave out under the combined weight. He ended up on the floor, holding on to Sam and threw the rag away with a snarl.

"You had to, son." Bobby knelt beside him and patted his shoulder. "Poor kid's just had too much." He smoothed Sam's ever increasing shaggy hair from his forehead tenderly and sighed.

"I know." Dean had heard the tension in Sam's voice; had been sure he'd been moments away from firing. Granted it was only rock salt but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt like hell and he knew his little brother. Sam would never have forgiven himself as he still held on to guilt for shooting Dean with the same so long ago in an asylum. "I'm sorry, tiger." Dean rested his hand on Sam's neck, soothed by the steady pulse beating there. "Let's get him out of here and get him safe."

Dean scowled around at the room as Bobby lifted Sam from his arms. "When we find that bitch, I want first shot." He growled as Jody helped him up. "Phantoms and that lunatic buried him alive and more phantoms and…Bobby, what if he doesn't come back?" He finished quietly, desperately.

"Shut it. He'll come back." Bobby said firmly. "He always comes back." He nodded and smiled at Dean as he hefted Sam over his shoulder. "For you now let's get you idjits outta here. You drive with that leg?"

Dean took a moment to quietly absorb the simple truth of Bobby's words and then nodded. "Yeah. Hell yes."

"Then let's get the hell out of here." Jody said softly as she slid under Dean's arm. She gave only a cursory look toward the body in the corner with not a single twinge for his death as her eyes passed over the hole in the floor. Good riddance, she said silently as they stepped out into the night.

Sinopa seemed to have spent herself temporarily as their trip back to the car and then to the truck were uneventful; not a single phantom to plague them. Dean pulled into the motel parking gratefully and with a sigh of relief, Bobby's truck pulling in beside him. He reached over to Sam and sighed. He was still unconscious, likely catching up on much needed sleep given how the last few days had gone.

"Hey, Bobby." He said as the passenger door opened and Bobby leaned in.

"You go on up. Jody'll get you up the stairs." Bobby smiled and pulled Sam's legs out of the car.

"I can help." Dean insisted and opened his own door, climbing out to find Jody waiting for him.

"Oh don't be a stubborn ass." Jody grinned and shook her head. "You're not much better off than Sam right now. Bobby's got him."

Dean looked over to see Sam draped carefully over Bobby's shoulder as the older Hunter made his way around the car and toward the stairs. "Wish we'd gotten rooms on the ground floor." Bobby said ruefully as he started up the stairs.

Dean stayed close behind him with Jody at his side, unwilling to be more than a few paces away from his brother as Bobby lugged him up the stairs. Bobby was gasping by the time they reached the top.

"No more Wheaties…for Sam." Bobby said as he started down the balcony toward the room.

Dean chuckled as they followed and reached a hand out to Sam's head, keeping it from swinging into the railing as Bobby turned to open their door. He hovered over his brother as Jody and Bobby settled Sam in his bed, refusing to move while Bobby pushed him down and threaded four stitches into the puncture in his leg.

"You smell, Dean." Jody said finally and smirked. "Honestly, whatever you were rolling in out there in the woods…you need a shower."

"She's right." Bobby leaned over and sniffed his shoulder dramatically. "You're ripe, boy."

"Bite me." Dean grumbled but he got up with a last look at Sam and headed for the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and just leaned his head against it for a moment. So far this job had been a string of near misses, one after the other and his nerves were beginning to fray. He turned and got the water running before Bobby decided to knock and check on him, then stripped off his clothes. He wrinkled his nose as he dropped them on the floor. He did stink.

He stepped into the shower and under the spray of hot water. Dean sighed and stretched his arms out, planting his hands on the wall under the shower head and let it pound the back of his neck, his head bowed. His chest tightened and the tears he couldn't stop were lost in the water sheeting over his face. The hopelessness welled up without warning to shatter his normally steely control. No matter what he told his brother, he was waiting; just waiting for the day when Sam would lose it for good because he knew it was coming. They were Winchesters and they never caught a break. Every time Lucifer and memories of Hell overwhelmed Sam, Dean was sure it would be the last time; that he would lose him forever and he couldn't save him. He sobbed in a breath at his own uselessness. It was his job to take care of Sam; to protect him but how was he supposed to protect him from his own mind? He couldn't face the thought of the day when Sam wouldn't be there. He couldn't allow himself to even consider a life on his own and he knew if…when that day came it would be his last. They'd given enough, so much even down to their souls and the rage he felt at that swallowed him up.

"Hey! You ok in there?" Bobby's voice made him jerk his head up.

Dean looked in surprise at the hole he had punched in the tile below the shower head. "Yeah. Fine. I'm fine." Dean told him. He heard Bobby grunt and the door close. "Dammit." He took a few deep breaths, washed his bleeding knuckles under the water and then got out. The bathroom suddenly seemed too small. He managed a weak smile when he saw his duffel bag sitting inside the door; Bobby no doubt and he pulled out fresh clothes, dressing quickly. He took another breath to settle the rage back where it belonged and opened the door.

"Hey, Bobby I…" Dean trailed off in shock, frozen in the open door. Sam still lay still on the far bed but before him stood two Bobbys and two Jodys. "What the hell?" It hit him in the gut then. Sinopa had somehow managed to get her phantoms inside the room. He dove for the gun he'd left on the table and leveled it at the four of them.

"Dean!" One of the Bobbys shouted and raised his hands. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up! You better tell me who's real right now." Dean cocked the hammer back, trying to decide which one to aim at. One of the Jodys took a step toward him and he turned the gun menacingly at her. "Back the hell up."

"Dean, what's wrong?" Jody stared in shock. She couldn't believe he was actually pointing a loaded weapon at them. "You have to tell us what's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Dean aimed at the two Bobbys again. "All of you, by the door. Now!"

"All of…" Bobby looked over to Jody in complete confusion. "Dean it's just us. Me and Jody. What's got into you, son?"

"Don't you call me that." Dean warned in a low voice. "You don't get to call me that you bitch!"

"Somethin' aint right." Bobby backed toward the door with Jody beside him. He looked down to the line of salt and frowned. He'd been hunting a damn long time and he knew what salt should look like. He knelt slowly, trying not to spook Dean and dipped a finger into it and then brought it to his lips. "Balls! It's sugar! That witch must have got in here."

"So he's seeing…what?" Jody asked, trembling and imagining all the ways this could go horribly wrong.

"I dunno. Dean." Bobby took a step toward him. "Son, it aint real, what you're seeing."

"No shit. I said back off!" Dean shouted again. His patience gone, he fired a warning shot toward the door just as it opened. A strange man with long, blonde hair stared at him in surprise as blood spattered from his shoulder before he dropped like a stone, unconscious. "Who the hell is that?"

Bobby didn't wait. He used the distraction and tackled Dean to the floor. "Dammit, Dean you're gonna kill someone!" He wrestled his adopted son, using every trick he knew to keep the upper hand and it was a fight. Bobby was pretty sure the only reason Dean hadn't flipped him across the room yet was because he wasn't in his right mind. "Let go of the damn gun!"

Jody left Bobby to deal with him and ran to the man on the floor. It was Sam's friend from the day before, Wil. "Please don't be dead." She whispered as she knelt beside him and heaved a sigh of relief when she found a strong pulse.

"What's going on?" Analise sprinted along the balcony with Lya close on her heels. "We were down in the diner and heard a shot. What's happened?"

"Let me by." Lya moved Analise and dropped beside the stricken Will going instantly into Paramedic mode. "It's not that bad. Through and through, might even have missed the bone." She felt along his shoulder, grimacing at the warm blood. "How'd this happen?"

"Long story." Jody sighed and turned back to find Bobby had wrested the gun away.

"It's me, you idjit!" Bobby told him again, pinning Dean with his weight as he tossed the gun away out of reach toward the door and Jody.

Dean looked up at the familiar face and felt his blood go cold as Bobby sneered at him. "Son of a bitch!" Dean heaved and lifted Bobby an inch or two, trying to throw him off.

"Sorry about this." Bobby said and quickly drove his fist into Dean's face. The older Winchester's eyes rolled back and he went limp beneath him. Bobby climbed back to his feet and rubbed a hand under his ballcap. "Gonna be pissed when he wakes up." He turned around to check on Jody and gasped as Sinopa materialized inside the room between them.

"So nice of you to take them down for me." Sinopa said sweetly, taking in the carnage around the room. "So stubborn those two and strong. No one has survived my phantoms this long."

"You bitch!" Bobby lunged for her, pulling a knife from his belt but he never got there. Sinopa used her power to easily toss him across the room. Bobby flew backwards and slammed through the bathroom door. He felt the mirror crack behind him and the sink slam into his back before darkness took him, his last thought for his boys and Jody, now unprotected.

Jody could only watch as Sinopa threw Bobby and she swallowed the instant fear at seeing him so still. "Analise." She scooped the gun from inside the door, sliding it behind her leg and stood. She took the woman's arm. "I need a distraction. Something or we're going to end up dead." Jody knew she couldn't just walk in and shoot the old woman; she'd already seen how that would end. "Please help us!"

Analise nodded quickly even as fear threatened to shake her to pieces. She had already seen the damage Sinopa could do, hard as it was to believe of someone she'd known all her life. She sucked back the fear and ran past Jody straight into the room past Lya and Will.

"Sinopa! Stop, please!" Analise screamed and let the hysterical fear she felt come out in tears and shaking hands. "What are you doing? You're killing them, please! You have to stop!"

"Silly girl." Sinopa turned to Analise and smiled evilly. "I will do whatever I please. I was going to leave you be. I do rather like your cooking but you know too much now, don't you dear?" She raised her hand toward her and screamed in pain as a gunshot deafened the room again and blood blossomed on her chest above her heart. Sinopa looked up and saw Jody over Analise's shoulder, the gun still aimed at her.

"You're done." Jody said softly and fired again. The bullet took the old woman between the eyes and sent her over backwards to crash into the table and then the floor, dead.

Analise fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She had understood that Jody was going to kill her but seeing it…she looked down to the deep red spattered across the front of her dress and covered her face. "What did I do?" She had been evil but Analise had once trusted her, even loved her a little.

"Analise." Jody touched her shoulder gently and tucked Dean's gun behind her back before pulling the distraught woman to her feet. "There was no choice. I'm so sorry. I am."

Analise nodded slowly, shaking. "I know but…it still doesn't feel right."

"Can you…can you help me get Dean up on the bed?" Jody asked softly and the woman nodded again. She said nothing as she helped Jody, taking Dean's legs while Jody struggled under the weight of his upper body to get him up on the bed. "Thank you."

"I…I need to go…do something…somewhere else." Analise stared starkly at the floor so she wouldn't see the body on the other side of the room. "I can't…I'm sorry." She turned and left quickly, unable to stomach what she'd been party too regardless of the need.

"You guys need a new day job." Lya said from the door and startled Jody. She'd forgotten for a moment she was there.

"How is he?" Jody asked as she headed for the bathroom.

"He'll live." Lya came in behind her and took her shoulder when she would have pulled on Bobby's shoulder. "Don't move him yet. Let me look." The younger woman bent and ran expert hands along Bobby's head and neck, then down his back. "I called my Dad. That poor guy out there needs a hospital."

Bobby groaned and opened his eyes to find Jody and Lya both leaning over him. "Wha' happened?"

"You had an argument with the sink." Jody smiled, relieved to see him awake and more so when he moved.

"Who won?" Bobby asked and didn't argue when Lya took his shoulders to guide him up.

"Doesn't look like you." Lya said and smirked.

"Cute." Bobby growled and then bent over on a groan with a hand to his back. "Holy crap."

"Hang on." Lya tugged the back of his shirts up over his protest and hissed. "You're going to have some pretty bruises back here soon." She felt along his spine and ignored his curses with a laugh. "Doesn't feel like anything's out of place. You're lucky."

"Yeah, I feel lucky." He looked up to Jody. "Where's that bitch?"

"Dead." Jody said simply and waved an arm toward the room.

Bobby stepped out of the bathroom and sighed. "Nice shot." He smiled at Jody and couldn't help the moment of pride that crossed his face or relief that she had been able to not only protect herself but all of them as well. "Do we know who that guy is?"

"A friend of Sam's from college." Jody said and watched as Lya went back out to the balcony to check on Will. "Met him yesterday. Strangest thing him running into us like that."

"Kid's got lousy damn timing." Bobby shrugged and went to stand over the dead woman. "Best get this out of here and taken care of before someone finds her."

"I'll help. Lya?" Jody called. "Can you stay with them for a few minutes?"

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere." Lya gave her a sad smile. "Believe me, this isn't the worst thing I've ever seen. You do what you have to." She gave a hard look to Sinopa's body. "Dad explained it to me. She needed killing. I just can't believe it was her all along."

"It's always the ones you least expect." Bobby moved the table out of the way, righting it and smiled. "Nice of her to land on the rug like that." He pulled one side up over the old woman and rolled her in. "You grab her feet. We'll get her down in my truck and I'll…take care of it. Witch's body's gotta be salted and burned or they get up to all kinds of mischief after they're dead."

"I don't even want to imagine." Jody said firmly and helped him lift her, angling carefully out the door and around Lya and the wounded Will. They got her down the stairs and in the back of Bobby's truck just as Doctor Geery pulled up beside them.

"What's happened? My daughter called and said someone had been shot?" The Dr. looked concerned at both of them and Bobby smiled, pointing up to the room.

"Patient's up there, Doc. I gotta go…clean something up." Bobby ran a hand through Jody's hair before he climbed into his truck and rumbled out of the parking lot.

"Come on." Jody touched his arm lightly and smiled. "You have a few patients to look at. It's been an eventful night."

"So I gather." The Doctor watched Bobby's truck leave and decided he didn't really want to know what needed cleaning at that hour. He followed Jody upstairs and jogged the last few yards to his daughter. "Good grief." He said on seeing Will and the blood.

"I think he's ok, Dad." Lya smiled and leaned into the hand he cupped to her face for a moment. "Still hasn't woken up but that's likely shock."

The Dr. glanced into the room, taking in Sam and Dean unconscious on their beds and his eyes widened at the unmistakable red stains on the floor and back wall of the room. "I uh…was going to say let's call an ambulance but I don't think that'd be such a good idea. Help me get him down to my car? I'll drive him to the hospital myself."

Jody sighed and rolled her shoulders. "This is getting to be a habit." She took Will's feet, the Doctor taking his head and they lifted him carefully with Lya walking alongside to stabilize his shoulder. "Sam's going to need a new brace by the way. His arm's in rough shape."

Doctor Geery frowned. "It really has been an eventful night." Once they had Will lying across the backseat of his sedan he took his daughter's hand. "Lya, can you stay and watch after them until I get back?"

"Of course, Dad." Lya leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek with a smile. "Go on. I can handle this lot. They're a mess."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-** _

"Sam Winchester if you try to get up again I WILL handcuff you to that bed." Jody warned in her best 'Mother's' voice as he swung a leg to the floor. She grinned triumphantly when he put it back on the bed. "Good boy."

"It's my arm that's broken you know. Not me legs." Sam said petulantly.

"So we shouldn't mention the multiple concussions, blurry vision, bumps, bruises and hey how about the part where you were drugged twice?" Jody tsked at him and laughed. "Stay put til Doctor Geery gets back." Lya had a left a short while ago, needing to start her shift with firm orders that Sam not move around too much. Dean she had allowed to get up after he'd stood and done a little jig for her.

Dean laid on his bed, arms behind his head and tried to come to terms with the fact he'd fired at Bobby. "He's alright, isn't he?" He asked again. "Shouldn't take this long to salt and burn that bitch."

"He's fine, Dean." Jody smiled at him. "Just a little banged up and not from you."

The sound of a key in the lock made them all still, Dean reaching under his pillow for his knife, Jody taking his gun from behind her back.

"Don't shoot the delivery boy." Bobby said with a chuckle when he opened the door and saw them waiting. He held up two large bags. "Anyone hungry?"

"Oh hell yes." Dean rolled off the bed and grabbed a bag. "Starving."

"You could have called." Jody shook her head, amused as they started laying out a cheap Taco feast on the table.

"I decided not to go to the diner." Bobby gave her a sad look. "Don't think Analise much wants to see any of us right now." Jody nodded. "Only place open was this little taco place. Don't look too bad." He took a large, wrapped burrito looking thing from the bag and went over to Sam with a smile.

"I got you the salad in a shell thing. Eat up." Bobby handed it to him. "And none of that you aint hungry crap."

Sam unwrapped one end and looked dubiously at it. "What's this brown stuff?"

"Meat." Bobby replied with a grin. "Just eat, Sam."

Sam considered arguing, he really wasn't feeling hungry but the trio of resolute looks told him he'd get no peace until he did. "Thanks, Bobby." He took a bite and chewed, managing to smile without grimacing. "It's actually not that bad."

"Mmf. I's great." Dean mumbled around a mouthful of burrito.

"I'll uh…" Jody watched the three of them eating and pushed away her own. "Not a fan of Mexican."

Sam managed half of his and set aside, figuring he'd eaten enough to keep them happy. He glanced up at the knock on the door and watched again as they all tensed before answering the door. This job had driven them all into paranoia he thought sadly.

"Hey, Doc." Dean smiled and opened the door wider so Doctor Geery could enter.

"You boys are certainly keeping me busy." The Dr. smiled around at them. "How's your back? Lya updated me." He asked of Bobby.

"Hurts like hell." Bobby shrugged stiffly. "It's nothing' I aint had before."

"I'll believe that. Dean, how's the leg?" The Doctor pushed him at the bed until he sat.

Dean smirked at being manhandled but allowed it. "It's good." He hissed in a breath when the Doctor straightened his leg to shove up his pantleg and have a look.

"Uh huh. Stay off it for a day or two." The Doctor chuckled. "Or maybe a few hours if you can manage it?"

"Oh he'll stay off it." Bobby said surely and glared at Dean. "Jody's got handcuffs."

"I don't think I want to know." The Dr. laughed and rose to go over to Sam. "Now, let's have a look at that arm."

"This is gonna suck." Sam said and took a breath to steal himself as the Doctor reached to undo the sling binding his left arm to his chest.

"Your friend Will is going to be fine." The Doctor smiled as he gently drew Sam's arm out. "He heard shouting in the room. That's why he opened the door when he did. He was concerned for you."

"Sounds like Will." Sam said, breathless from the pain as his arm was held out.

"We'll go see him before we leave town." Dean said and got the smile he wanted from Sam. It was the least he could so for someone he'd shot who'd only been trying to help his brother.

"Lya was right. This needs replacing." He gave Sam a concerned look for the pallor of his face. "It will feel better once the new brace is on, I promise." Sam only nodded so he set to work removing the twisted brace.

Sam held his breath and did his best not to move; even so he couldn't help the twitches as the pain overpowered him. He looked up at the Doctor and reared back seeing Lucifer's smiling face instead.

"Whoa." Dean knew what that look on his brothers' face meant. "Hold up, Doc." Dean went to the bed and sat, taking Sam's shoulder. "It's alright, Sammy." He waited until Sam's pain glazed hazel eyes met his and smiled. "Stone number one." Sam nodded and closed his eyes, leaning in to the grip on his shoulder. "Ok, Doc. Go ahead."

Doctor Geery watched them and wondered again at the strength of their bond and what could possibly happened to the younger brother to damage him so. "Almost done Sam." He extricated Sam's arm from the metal finally and smiled. "I don't think the fracture is any worse. There'd be more swelling if it were. Just hold still."

"He's good." Dean told him and moved his hand to the back of Sam's neck, squeezing as the Doctor slid the new brace onto his arm, tightening it in place. "Breathe, Sam."

Sam nodded and gasped in a breath. The tightening of the brace around his forearm actually helped to lessen some of the agony. He raised a hand to wipe at the sweat that had broken out on his face and bumped another hand. He looked up to see Jody as she laid a damp towel on his face.

"You're ok, Sam." She told him kindly.

"All done." Doctor Geery dropped the destroyed brace into his bag and stood. "His arm should be fine in a few weeks and then you can…Sam?" He caught the look of distress on his young patient's face, watched him pale and his eyes widen. "What is it?"

Sam couldn't tell them. He scrambled off the bed and staggered into the bathroom where he fell in front of the toilet and the vomit he'd felt crawling up his throat spewed out everything he'd eaten and then kept going.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Dean squeezed past Jody and Bobby into the bathroom. He wrapped an arm over Sam's straining shoulders to support him and held his newly braced left arm in his other hand, keeping it safe.

"I don't know!" Doctor Geery set his bag back on Sam's bed and then saw the half eaten burrito. "Oh no. Who got food from El Pablo's?"

"I did." Bobby said, confused at the look of disgust on his face.

"Didn't you see the yellow sign on their door?" Doctor Geery groaned and started digging in his bag. "They've been shut down five times now by the health department for making people sick." He straightened and tossed a bottle to Bobby. "Should help with the nausea and sadly it's all I can do for this."

"Aw crap." Bobby groaned.

"Dude if I get sick, I'm puking in your shoes." Dean gave him a dirty look and turned back to Sam, rolling his eyes. "He didn't mean to try and kill ya, Sam." He said, chuckling when Bobby sputtered.

Sam's vomiting finally stopped and he collapsed back into Dean's supporting arm, spent from the effort and the last few days combined. "Shoot me. Please?" He asked, only half joking.

"It'll be ok." Dean told him and took the cool, damp cloth Jody handed him. He laid it across Sam's forehead. "Better?" Sam nodded. "Ok, let's get you back in bed. Come on, sasquatch." He lifted Sam from the floor and held him when his legs threatened to buckle. "I've got ya. Make a whole." Dean said and steered Sam past Bobby, Jody and the Doctor and back to his bed.

"As soon as he can keep a little water down without vomiting, give him two of the pills I gave to Bobby." Doctor Geery took Sam's right wrist and checked his pulse; he nodded, satisfied. "I've dealt with this several times now." He smiled ruefully. "He'll be miserable for a couple days but otherwise fine. Just keep him hydrated."

"And no more Mexican." Sam groaned and curled around his stomach and arm.

"Aw hell, son. I'm sorry." Bobby felt miserable at making Sam so sick after what he'd already been through.

"It's ok, Bobby." Sam smiled weakly at him.

"So chicken soup for you for a couple…" Dean's hand stilled on Sam's forehead and he swallowed hard. "Oh…oh crap." He dove for the bathroom and managed to grab the little wastebasket as his dinner too came back for a second showing.

"Balls." Bobby bent to help Dean and then whirled, looking frantically around the room. Jody saw him and made a mad dash toward the door. She came back with the other wastebasket and thrust it under Bobby's head a moment before he dropped to his knees and started throwing up as loudly as Dean.

"Great. Pukefest." Jody groaned. She went and opened one of the windows, needing to let some of the smell out of the room.

"I'll help Dean." Doctor Geery struggled not to laugh. He didn't think they'd appreciate the humor of the situation just yet.

"Thanks." Jody pulled Bobby slowly to his feet. "You make it to our room, old man?"

Bobby glared at her as his stomach eased slightly. "Don't make me kiss you."

"Ewww." Jody groaned, laughed and pulled him toward the door.

"Come on, young man. Up you go." Doctor Geery tugged Dean up from the floor and pointed him at his bed.

Dean hugged the little trash can and sent Bobby a rude gesture as he left. He snorted. "He's gonna be…sucking up…for a month to make up for this. Oh god." He bent over the can again.

Sam groaned. "Help?" He could feel it coming again and didn't have the strength to even get up, let alone make it to the bathroom.

"Oh…oh dear." Doctor Geery started to pull Sam up as Jody returned. She ran around the beds and handed him a new trashcan.

"Since Bobby took the other one." She smirked at the relieved look on his face. Jody rubbed a hand on Sam's back as he poured his guts out again. "Bobby's being an ass. Puking does not bring out the best in him." She leaned across the space between the beds and laid a hand on Dean's forehead.

"You gonna…mother us all night?" Dean said grumpily and Jody chuckled. He groaned in appreciation when she laid a cool cloth on his forehead. "I take it back. Mother away."

"You have your work cut out for you." Doctor Geery laughed and patted her shoulder. "I have to get back to the hospital but I'll come check on them in a day or so."

"Thanks, Doc." Jody gave him a genuine smile. "For everything."

The Doctor bent and picked up the bottle Bobby had dropped. He handed it to her. "Good luck."

Jody went into the bathroom and wet a second towel. She sat beside Sam who was panting after his second bout, eyes closed and laid the cloth along his neck. "Just relax, kiddo." Dean dropped back onto his bed and Jody grabbed his bucket. She rinsed it out quickly in the bathroom and had it back beside him before he could start again. She snagged a chair from the table and set it between the beds, settling in the seat to take care of her boys. She smirked and shook her head at herself but couldn't help the way she felt.

"Next time…I'm picking the job." Dean said tiredly.

Sam snorted softly. "All yours…Puke-a-rella."

"Dude, I will come over there and kick your ass."

Sam chuckled. "Like to see you…" He finished the thought with his face in the trashcan, heaving again.

Dean began to laugh and then paled, quickly pulling his can closer and emptying his stomach into it again. Jody chortled happily at the two of them and the fact they could be so light-hearted after all they'd been through and were now suffering. Jody looked up in surprise as Bobby opened the door and shuffled into the room cradling his trashcan. He dropped heavily into one of the chairs and let his head thump back into the wall.

"How in hell was I supposed to know…the food was bad?" Bobby said miserably.

Jody got up and detoured into the bathroom once again for yet another cool washrag. She went over to Bobby and laid it gently across his forehead. She smiled. "I'd kiss you old man but I really don't like Mexican, especially when its regurgitated." She chuckled at the disgusted look on his face. "I don't think you're allowed to pick the food anymore."

"Amen!" Came the resounding shout from Sam and Dean in unison.

Bobby rolled his eyes and growled. "You're all idjits."

_**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-** _

_The End._

**A/N DON'T GO ANYWHERE!** :D If you prompted this story, you'll find your name in the list below. As a thank you to all of you who did such an amazing job keeping me on my toes, I offer the only gift I can give. _**A One Shot Story of your choosing**_. Either comment this chapter or Private Message with:  Which season you would like it set in and what you would like the story to be about either in general or in detail. Anything your little supernatural hearts desire. Except Wincest. As stated in every chapter...I don't do that. :D

Again, if your name is on the list, you've earned a special One Shot written just for you to your specifications. Comment or PM what you want and I'll write it. Thank you all again! Don't worry, we'll play this game again. :D

_Carry on!_

**Prompters Extraordinaire:**

twohisglory2002

LadyBeryl

judyann

Colby's girl

Sparkiebunny

LeighAnnWallace

Rachlerox's

Lucydolly22

Leahelisabeth

Brielle-W

JaniceC678

LaedieDuske

Shannanigans

Kelisem

Alex Megan

emebalia

murphy9202

Jeanny

sammynanci

Hinfallend

threedays

linneast

K Hanna Korossy

Avalonemyst

Y. R. Night

ephiny63

N Jas J


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